


This was not the Dragon we were looking for...

by Kraken_Guard



Category: Spyro the Dragon (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Multi, Other, Some MILD ship teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:49:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 29,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24446878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kraken_Guard/pseuds/Kraken_Guard
Summary: A week after a troublesome saurian sorcerer and his two fearsome monsters were brought to Avalar, Elora, Hunter, the Professor and Zoe set off to Glimmer in the hopes of catching a dragon to help them out with the little menace named Ripto.Unfortunately, the dragon they caught wasn't at all what they were hoping to find...(Finished - Open for Feedback/Suggestions!)
Relationships: Ripto/Elora
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this has been an idea that has been sitting in my mind for a LONG while now. And thanks to "certain situations at this time" that I won't exactly elaborate on(*Cough*COVID*Cough*), I've finally had the time to write it down!
> 
> And hey! What do you know! It's actually something I managed to finish! A first for the Kraken Guard!
> 
> Bringing this over from DA to Archive! If you like it, leave some Kudos -- comments are always welcome! I DO feel I kinda ended up rushing things later on, so if you feel there's certain things that could be improved upon : PLEASE let me know and I'll try and tweak things to the best of my abilities!
> 
> Roll the tape, boys!

"... Is it working, Professor?" asked the red-haired faun, taking a step closer to the mole as he scribbled down notes that she couldn't quite make out in his notebook, his tongue just barely poking out from the side of his mouth.  
  
"Almost," answered the Professor, pausing from his notes to readjust his glasses. "Just a few more adjustments to these orbs and...!"  
  
"M-m-maybe this isn't such a good idea." Elora turned around, looking back at the stuttering cheetah. "Bringing a dragon here could just make Ripto angrier!"  
  
"Calm down, Hunter - and stop fidgeting!" Said Elora, scrunching her face at the cheetah's persistent fretting.  
  
"But you saw the Professor's books!" the cheetah started, wide-eyed. "They have claws like THIS! and teeth like THIS!" He said, emphasizing each trait by flexing his claws and baring his fangs. "A-and they spit fire, like THIS!" Elora was then greeted with a blow in the face, and a few sprits of spit flying out from his mouth. "They sound MUCH more dangerous than Ripto!"  
  
"That's exactly the point," said Elora. "A dragon is our only chance of stopping Ripto, and you know it!"  
  
"Well, well! What have we got here?" A voice called out all of a sudden. Elora and her friends turned, and a great dread gripped them. Standing upon the step were the two, terrible beasts, Crush and Gulp, and upon Gulp's head stood the diminutive saurian sorcerer himself, Ripto, his lips curled back in a wicked grin which revealed rows of sharp, terrible teeth. "Someone forgot to invite ME to the party!" said Ripto, giving off a cackle. "Where might you four be headed, I wonder? Looking for a nice place to laze about and soak up some rays from the sun? You know, there's a pretty nice place here in Avalar for that already!"  
  
"Eep! We've been discovered!" The frightened cheetah darted to hide behind Elora, trembling at the sight of the sorcerer and his monsters. 'This WAS bad,' Elora thought to herself, biting her lip. Wracking her mind, the faun tried to think up a way to keep the little sorcerer distracted from the portal behind them -- but then...  
  
"It's working! It's working!" Exclaimed the Professor as the green orbs started to twinkle and shine... All attention was then brought upon the portal as the orbs spun and floated... "Brace yourselves! We've got a big one on our hands--!"  
  
The little mole just barely managed to finish his sentence... Reaching for the Professor, Elora grabbed hold of the little mole and pulled him back, and she, Hunter and Zoe, darted out of the way just as a great beast passed through the portal with an ungraceful landing.  
  
"OUF!!" Grunted the beast, shuffling to stand himself up straight... He was an intimidating figure, if Elora had to be honest... Bright, red scales. Two large wings, and two large horns protruding from his head... And in his hand, Elora noticed, was a staff with a dark crystal fixated upon the top... It was precisely what they were searching for! But looking him over, Elora could not help feel a certain foreboding.  
  
"What IMPERTINENCE! Who DARES to pull me away from my destination!?" Exclaimed the red dragon, smoke billowing from his nostrils as his lips quivered in a snarl... Looking beyond, Elora noted Ripto quailing at the sight of the red dragon ; as did his two beasts.  
  
"A Dragon!?" Exclaimed the little sorcerer in disbelief. "You brought a DRAGON to Avalar!?"  
  
With a twitch of his ears and an arch of his brow, the red dragon twirled around, and looked down upon the small quartet... Elora swallowed nervously as she stared up at the imposing beast as he loomed over them, observing them with a critical eye.  
  
"S-so, you're a dragon, huh?" Started Hunter, poking around from behind Elora and waving his fingers at the red dragon in an attempt to appear friendly. But the beast responded with a twitch of his nose.  
  
"Yes, most observant of you," the dragon drawled dryly. "And I suppose you'll also note that the grass is green, pussy-cat."  
  
Pussy-Cat... Hunter's biggest pet peeve. Elora cringed as she heard the words of the red dragon. Looking back, she noted how the cheetah's ears drooped. Hunter shrunk back, mildly miffed, but he knew better than to say anything in retort.  
  
"YOU!"  
  
The red dragon turned his attention back to the saurian sorcerer, now aiming his scepter at Elora.  
  
"This was your plan all along! To bring a DRAGON to Avalar to be rid of me! You would DARE to conspire against your KIGN!?"  
  
"King?" The red dragon repeated with an amused chuckle. "You? Please, I can tell a man of noble birth by smell alone! And you, little lizard, are but a mere peasant."  
  
That was enough to have earned Ripto's ire. With a yell, he held up his staff and threw a bolt of fire at the red dragon ; but with a wave of his staff, the dragon conjured forth a wall of ice to block the attack... The sorcerer's eyes widened in alarm. Then, turning, he directed Crush to attack.  
  
With a roar, Crush charged his opponent with his club. The dragon, spreading his wings, leaped up just as the blue beast brought his club down. Letting out a confused growl, Crush looked around to find the dragon had situated himself up on the cliff just above the portal... Another wave of his staff, and a bunch of icicles shot forth. Crush barely had a chance to dodge each one, and he rushed back to his master.  
  
"Crush you idiot! You were supposed to FIGHT the wretch! Not run from him!" Ripto scolded. Turning his attention to the dragon, he aimed his scepter and said : "Don't think this is over! And YOU," looking down at the faun and her friends, he furrowed his brows and snarled : "I'll deal with YOU later! Gulp! Let's retreat!"  
  
Giving a low bellow, the three dinosaurs turned and hightailed it from the area... The dragon brought himself back down, watching the trio make their leave, and huffed.  
  
"Silly little beast... No matter. He is no danger."  
  
There was a pause. The dragon sniffed the air around him, and stretched his wings out. "A quaint place this realm is... Avalar... Perhaps I should consider making this my new base of operation!"  
  
The dragon gave the four one last look, before giving off a snort and taking flight.  
  
Elora's ears drooped as she watched the red dragon disappear over the horizon, and her heart sank... There was no one in Avalar who could face Ripto. They needed a dragon to fight Ripto! Not one that would take over the realm!  
  
"We have to go follow them," said Elora.  
  
"W-what!?" gulped Hunter. "B-but you saw--"  
  
"I know what we saw, Hunter... But it's all we can do right now."  
  
\----  
Little lizards and kangaroo rats scuttled about as the red dragon passed through their gem-filled cavern. Gem-lanterns dotted the cavern ceilings, and up ahead was a closed off bridge, with a large, fat bear in a fancy black suit, a monocle, and a large bag with a green gem stitched on the front.  
  
"Well!" The bear started as the dragon approached. "You must be the dragon everyone's talking about! Well, dragon or not, I'm afraid there is a small fee to open the bridge... It'll take 100 gems to cross."  
  
The dragon looked down at the bear for a moment as if pondering the price... Then he aimed his staff and encased the bear in a block of ice before flying the gap and moving on.


	2. Chapter 2

Elora passed through the portal of Glimmer and stepped out into the Summer Forest. A soft breeze blew through the trees, rustling the leaves and her red fur... Following closely behind her was the Professor, and Zoe. The fairy zipped upward, holding her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. Green, blue... Those were Ripto's monsters, heading to the lake just in front of the castle... But closing in on them... The red dragon!  
  
The fairy descended and met back up with Elora and the Professor. "They're heading to the castle!"  
  
The castle... Elora rushed through the forest, leaping over a small stream, only to come to a sudden, screeching halt. The bridge! The bridge leading to the castle gardens was destroyed!  
  
... But Elora was determined. She stepped back, and made a running jump.  
  
"Elora! Wait!" Zoe cried out as Elora made the leap. Far too late. The faun covered a good distance, and just made it to where her fingers clung to the edges of the other side. But her grip was poor. She zipped over the gap, and held on to the faun -- a great effort on it's own. And given her small size, she was unable to pull the faun up!  
  
Luckily Hunter arrived at the scene. With the Professor clinging onto his back, the cheetah made the leap effortlessly, and rushed to Elora's aid, reaching down and hoisting her up.  
  
"Sheesh Elora, you're not normally one to make big leaps like that!" said the cheetah, giving Elora a pat on the shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, well... Guess I was filled with determination," the faun said with a shrug. "Thanks, Hunter."  
  
"No prob!"  
  
Moving on, they all stepped outside into the Summer Forest gardens... Elora's ears twitched as a yell caught her attention, and she looked upward just in time to see Moneybags getting kicked out from the castle, landing on the platform by the water with a large thud.  
  
There was a sudden gust of wind... This wasn't at all like the warm summer breeze that Summer Forest was known for, Elora noted. There was a slight chill - and the skies began to grow dark, almost as if there was an oncoming storm... Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.  
  
"This is bad, Elora," said Zoe, turning to look back at the faun. "This doesn't seem like a natural storm."  
  
"No." Elora sighed, ears falling back... Pressing onward, the quartet made their way inside the castle itself. The Summer Forest homeworld was known for it's evergreen forests, lakes and gardens, and the castle itself was arguably the most beautiful in all of Avalar, with walls of marble and blue tile floors. But when they reached the interior garden, they found a sinister black gem planted beside a tree. A putrid purple ooze bled out from the ground where the gem was fixed, and evil vines had sprouted, curling around the tree like the writhing tentacles of a kraken, and it's wood turned dark, and it's leaves dulled as if all life was being choked from it.  
  
As Elora drew close, her ears drooped once more... Her eyes were downcast, and the faun sighed. "This is all my fault... I thought a dragon could help us beat Ripto... But it just made things worse."  
  
"... Hey, it was worth a shot," said Hunter, setting a hand on Elora's shoulder. "I mean, it was a pretty good idea! I'm sure there's many other good dragons out there! Somewhere..."  
  
"And we were unlucky enough to have brought in one that's potentially worse than Ripto," Elora finished. The cheetah frowned and made to speak, but found he could not find the words to offer comfort.  
  
"These gems... They don't seem to be of Ripto's making," the Professor mused aloud, tip-toeing closer to the dark gem, mindful of the ooze that seeped out from the ground around it. "I reckon they're the devices of the red dragon... And they're seeping the life out from the environment they're planted in."  
  
"... So our priority should be the red dragon," said Elora.  
  
"But how?" asked Hunter. "I don't think there's anyone around who could face down a dragon like that!"  
  
"Maybe..."  
  
All attention was directed to Elora. The faun crossed her arms, her brows furrowed and her ear twitching. From the look on her face, it was evident that she was troubled by whatever was on her mind. She hated the idea that was brewing, but what else was there for them to do? At last she spoke, and even she was in disbelief by what she had said : "We need to get to Ripto."  
  
"... Wait-- you mean-- We're going to HIM for help now?" Hunter started in alarm and disbelief. "But we--"  
  
"I know, Hunter... But it's all we've got right now."  
  
\----  
"How dare they," growled the little sorcerer, pacing to-and-fro. Crush and Gulp sat quietly to the said, watching the little sorcerer as he paced. "To think they would have brought a dragon to Avalar -- to deal with ME! I should have dealt with them when I had the chance!"  
  
The beasts said nothing... Of course, being beasts, they weren't normally one's to talk anyway. Gulp kept his eye on Ripto as he vented out his frustrations while Crush gnawed away at his club - which was nothing more than a giant chicken leg.  
  
The sound of Ripto's feet pitter-pattering with each step echoed in the dungeons, until the little sorcerer came to a sudden halt. He sniffed the air -- it stank down in the dungeons, but he recognized the smell of dragon when he sniffed it. Gulp lifted his head just as the little sorcerer readied his scepter.  
  
"Looks like we've got company..."  
  
There was the sound of flapping wings from up above... A red shape descended down from the hole in the dungeon ceiling, and landed right in the center of the platform... The little sorcerer's lips twitched, curling back in a toothy sneer, his fingers tightening on his scepter.  
  
"So this is where you fled to," said the red dragon, leaning against his staff. "You know, if I were in your dorky little shoes, I'd have considered retreating somewhere that smelled better."  
  
There was a pause. Ripto looked down at his shoes - dark purple, the same as his cape, and curls at the end of each shoe. "HEY!" The little sorcerer exclaimed, stomping his foot down. "You leave my shoes out of this! Crush!" He looked to the blue monster, now sitting up, alert and ready for combat. "You know what to do!"  
  
Crush, giving off a fierce roar, leaped down and joining the red dragon on the platform... Looking his challenger over, the red dragon gave a mocking laugh.  
  
"Really? Sending your lackeys to do battle instead of dealing with me yourself? That's pathetic."  
  
The dragon gave off a confident chuckle. Crush charged forward, and swung his club down, but the dragon dodged, and stepped out of the way... There was a sudden rumbling from above, and the beast looked up just in time for rocks and boulders to come falling down on him. The dungeons were quite dilapidated, as Crush found out the hard way... The beast pushed himself up, shaking the rubble from his shoulders, and looked up at his foe -- only to get a blast of ice in his face.  
  
"CRUSH! Use the platforms!" Ripto shouted from above, pointing at the various platforms on the arena... The big blue beast brought himself up with a pathetic sounding grumble and made to one of the platforms. But every time he jumped on the platforms, the dragon would effortlessly dodge the waves of energy that came from the platforms and countered the attack.  
  
Ripto was burying his face in his hand at this point in time... The dragon wasn't even fighting ; just egging Crush on, taunting him with each missed attack. Every time Crush would grow frustrated as the battle dragged on, he'd swing his club down on the dragon, miss, and have more rocks fall down on him! As time dragged on, the beast was running low on breath, panting, tongue lolling from his mouth.  
  
"You try my patience, dragon. Gulp! Let's head down!"  
  
Climbing up atop the green beast, Ripto and Gulp joined the arena to assist Crush in battling the red dragon. Their eyes locked. Ripto's claws tightened on his scepter the dragon grinned.  
  
"Gulp! Sic 'em!"  
  
With a bellowing roar, the beast charged forward. Ripto clung to Gulp's horn with his claw, and readied his scepter for an attack, throwing a ball of fire at the red dragon, who ducked and dodged to the side. Eyes locked on his target, Gulp turned, charging at the dragon like an enraged bull. But the dragon kept on dodging. He was taking amusement in wearing the beasts down, and it angered Ripto. With a yell, he conjured forth another ball of fire, and lunged it at the dragon. But once again, the dragon countered the spell by creating a wall of ice. With a wave of his staff, sharp shards of ice protruded from the ground, causing the green beast to rear up, knocking Ripto from his back.  
  
"Gulp! No!" The little sorcerer cried out in alarm, landing on the arena floor with an 'umph!'. When he pushed himself back up, he looked back to Gulp to find that the beast had been knocked onto his back and was as stuck as a turtle.  
  
He turned back to the dragon, and readied his scepter... But with a swing of his tail, he swept Ripto aside, and the little dinosaur could only watch hopelessly as his scepter went flying out of his hand, right down in the green goop surrounding the arena.  
  
"Puny little lizard."  
  
Ripto looked back up at the dragon, now looming over him. The sorcerer, though he had lost his scepter to the winged wretch, remained defiant, glaring up at the dragon as he raised his staff to finish the job, when suddenly, the red beast lurched forward with a pained grunt.  
  
"Crush!" Exclaimed the little sorcerer. The blue monster had taken the opportunity to lend in a strike while the dragon was distracted!  
  
The fires of anger had been stoked within the red dragon. With a growl, he turned to the blue beast, and held up his staff, sending shards of ice up into the ceiling. The chamber began to rumble, and rocks fell down onto the blue beast. Only this time, much to Ripto's horror, they seemed to have knocked Crush out for good.  
  
"Impertinent beast!" the dragon grumbled, before spreading his wings open, and flying off from the arena. "I'll be dealing with you later, small fry."  
With that said, the dragon turned and departed, leaving Ripto and his monsters behind.  
  
\----  
"Yo! This is a pretty nifty invention that you came up with, Professor!" said Hunter as he, Elora and the Professor came floating down the hole leading down to the dungeons in bright, pink bubbles, with Zoe fluttering down with them.  
  
"Yes! I thought of this as I was enjoying a nice, warm bath some weeks ago!" the Professor replied with a cheerful smile. The elderly mole proceeded to go on and explain where his inspiration came from(soap bubbles), and how it would make for a very convenient method of transport for those hard-to-reach places, or for those who find themselves without a working powerup portal. That and it was also a bit safer than to rely on a bunch of cavemen to go and catapult you across a chasm.  
  
"... It's still a bit of a work in progress. You see, the bubbles can only hold so much weight right now, and you'd soon find yourselves going down. Which, luckily, is exactly where we're headed! But I'm afraid they don't hold for any long durations of time."  
  
"Hang on--! We'll be able to make our way down to the dungeon floor in time, right?"  
  
"Oh, most definitely!" The Professor assured with a nod of his head and a knowing smile.  
  
POP!  
  
The trio let out a cry as their bubbles popped, and they fell. With a gasp, Zoe quickened her descent to keep track with the other three.  
  
Luckily no lasting harm was done to the three. But the fall did leave them very sore.  
They pushed themselves back up. Hunter knelt down and picked up the Professor's glasses, returning them to the elderly mole. A relieved sigh was heard as he gave them a quick check, ensuring that they weren't broken again, before putting them back on. He shot the other two an apologetic look.  
  
"Crush, you idiot! Get up!"  
  
A familiar voice caught their attention... Some feet away, they caught sight of the little sorcerer, kneeling down beside Crush, pushing the blue beast's nose. On the other side was Gulp, who, likewise, also appeared to be trying to rouse the beast.  
  
What happened? Had they fought with the red dragon some moments prior?  
  
The quartet approached, only to stop at the sound of a warning growl... Gulp lifted his head up, and stepped around, putting himself before Ripto and the unconscious blue monster.  
  
This alerted Ripto... The little sorcerer turned, and stood up.  
  
"GO AWAY!" Shouted the little sorcerer, stomping his foot on the ground for emphasis.  
  
"Elora... He's missing his scepter," Hunter pointed out, shrinking back behind Elora.  
  
... And so he had. Nevertheless, Elora was wary when dealing with the sorcerer. Especially when he still had his beast, Gulp, at his side. And the green beast seemed to be his strongest companion.  
  
With a breath, the faun took a cautionary step forward, holding her hands up. "I'm... I'm just here to have a word--"  
  
"I don't want your WORDS!" the faun found herself immediately cut off by the sorcerer as he held out an accusatory finger in her direction. "This is all your fault, you stupid goat! It's because of you that that winged monster is here, planting his dark crystals throughout Avalar! It's because of you that I've lost my kingdom!"  
But it WASN'T your kingdom! It took a great deal of effort for Elora to bite back her retort. Biting her lip, she lowered her hands back down to her side.  
  
"... This isn't the right time for that," Elora started. "Your friend is hurt."  
  
There was a pause on the Sorcerer's part, and Elora watched, taking note of his expression. Brief confusion -- as if the word was completely unknown to him. But a second later, it went right back to that angry scowl. "He is NOT my friend," Ripto retorted.  
  
"... Whatever he is, he's hurt."  
  
"OBVIOUSLY HE'S HURT! Thanks to that DRAGON that you brought here!"  
  
Finally, it was the faun's turn to shout. "Would you calm down? We're trying to... Help."  
  
There was another pause. Once again, the sorcerer's expression changed... He looked at the faun with an arch of his brow.  
  
"... Help?" The little sorcerer repeated.  
  
"That's right... We're here to help. And... To seek help."  
  
"You're asking me for help? You brought that dragon here for the sole purpose of dealing with me. But now that you know you can't control him, you're seeking me for help?"  
  
Another pause... It made Elora's fur stand on end, having to deal with... Him... Her gut twisted in knots as she regarded the little sorcerer... She said so herself : He was the only chance they had.  
  
"... I am... But... We'll talk more on that later... Right now, will you let us help Crush?"  
  
Ripto was quiet... He and Gulp exchanged glances, and the sorcerer gave one last look at the blue beast behind him... Then, turning back, he growled : "Help him if you are able... But if I suspect you of holding any tricks up your sleeves, you'll be dealing with Gulp. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"... As clear as the waters of spring," answered Elora with a slow nod of her head.


	3. Chapter 3

More and more of the dark gems were appearing in the realm of Avalar. Worse yet was that they were appearing an abundance, and their presence was having a very noticeable effect on the environment... The sky was already dark by the time they reached Autumn Plains, and the gardens outside the castle were dotted with the sinister dark gems, it's cruel vines choking the life out of the trees in the garden, and the pool outside being polluted by the dark ooze.  
  
Things were escalating, Elora mused to herself, disheartened at the state the Autumn Plains were now in. "If we don't stop the red dragon soon..." She dare not think of it... She'd already lost one home... She wasn't about to lose the others.  
  
"Hunter? I need a quick word with you."  
  
Pulling the cheetah aside, Elora brought Hunter off somewhere private.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Okay. I have a really big favor to ask of you."  
  
"Sure! What'do'ya need?"  
  
"... Okay. So... Ripto's lost his scepter. We have Gulp, and Crush is doing better. However, if we're gonna fight the red dragon, I feel we need to better prepare ourselves. Can I trust you to go to each of Avalar's worlds and collect the talismans?"  
  
To that, the cheetah's ears perked up. "Hey! You should'a asked sooner!" Hunter started with a chime, and a sparkle in his eyes. He cracked his knuckles, and gave a big stretch. "I'll have 'em all collected by dinner time!"  
  
"Remember Hunter : this is EXTREMELY important!" said the faun. "I can't emphasize this enough : DON'T LOSE THEM."  
  
"Gosh, have some faith in me, won't ya'?"  
  
Elora's brows furrowed and she gave the cheetah a dry look... As if knowing exactly what was going through her mind, Hunter held up his hands and assured her : "Hey, this ain't gonna be like the incident with my running shoes... I'll take good care of 'em!"  
  
The faun let out a soft sigh... It was the funny thing with Hunter. Laid-back and cocky one moment ; a complete scaredy cat in the next. He was overconfident, naïve, and prone to gullibility in more times than Elora would like to recount, and she was putting her trust in him. However, let it not be said that she was completely without faith. He has surprised her in the past. Coming up with solutions to problems that no one would have ever thought of -- without him really realizing it. He worked with S.P.A.M(the Society for the Protection of Abused Monsters petting zoo), is one of the best divers of Avalar, and was known throughout the realm as a renown adventurer. And has lent a paw to the people of Avalar more than once. Arrogant at times, but he had a good heart.  
  
"I'll have Zoe go with you... Good luck."  
  
"You too... Be... Careful around him."  
  
"I will..."  
  
With Hunter and Zoe now heading back to the Summer Forest, Elora returned to where the Professor was... With Ripto, Gulp, and Crush... The mole was busy investigating one of the dark gems again, taking notes, while the other three were just... There.  
  
"... I suppose it's time to have my talk with Ripto," Elora thought to herself with a gulp.  
  
With a deep breath, the faun quietly approached the three saurians. A single footstep was all it took to alert the two larger dinosaurs of her presence. Elora immediately froze up when the two beasts lifted their large heads to look at her.  
  
"... R-Ripto," the faun called out after clearing her voice. The little sorcerer now turned to face the faun, with eyes narrowed in a warning glare.  
  
"It's a funny thing," the little sorcerer mused aloud to the faun. "I was brought here to Avalar through some freak accident on your part, and you came up with the solution of bringing a dragon to Avalar to take care of your problem. But wonder of wonders! The dragon that you brought turned out to be far worse than me, so now you're seeking help from the same person that you wanted killed!"  
  
Elora's brows furrowed. Each word of his cut through her like a knife. The worst part was that he wasn't all that far from the truth.  
  
"... I'm well aware of that," the faun started. "And I won't deny any of what you said."  
  
"So, why then, exactly, should I help you, when you want me dead?" Asked the little sorcerer, turning around to face the faun and crossing his arms.  
  
"... The dragon poses just as much threat to you as it does to us," Elora started, pausing to think over her worlds carefully. "We need to come up with a solution of dealing with him... Together, if it needs to be so."  
  
The faun's ears twitched and her heart dropped when the sorcerer responded with a mocking laugh.  
  
"Right! And I'll forget all about you wanting me dead!" The little sorcerer started. "So we band together, slay the dragon... Then what? You've still got me to deal with... Of course," he added, "I suppose I could come to an agreement... With the right bit of persuasion."  
  
Persuasion. Elora was dreading the moment where it would come to that... She knew exactly what it was he was going to say ; but for the moment, the faun decided to play along.  
  
"... I'm listening."  
  
The little sorcerer stepped forward, wearing a smug smirk that made Elora's skin crawl.  
  
"I help you ; and in return, you, and all the people of Avalar, will recognize me as King."  
  
... Yep. EXACTLY what Elora was figuring.  
  
The faun found herself between a rock and a hard place... But it was choosing between the lesser of two evils. She knew what needed to be said.  
  
"... You have my word," the faun said. To that, the little sorcerer's face lightened, and he pumped his fist in the air, letting out a string of soft 'yes! yes! yes!' under his breath. "HOWEVER," she then added, and the little saurian came to a sudden, screeching halt, and looked to her like a deer caught in the headlights. "In being king, you acknowledge that you are going to be tackling on some pretty huge responsibilities. You need to know about the different worlds, what kind of people live in these worlds, and what their needs are. You're going to be faced with a lot of different decisions, and every good king needs a good advisor in helping them with their decisions."  
  
"Um... And... Who would you suggest for that job?"  
  
"... Me."  
  
"What?" The sorcerer scrunched up his nose."YOU'RE wanting to advise ME on certain decisions?"  
  
The faun set her hands on her hips, and her expression became quizzical.  
  
"How many worlds are there altogether in Avalar?"  
  
"... What?"  
  
"Can you tell me what Talisman comes from each of these worlds?"  
  
"Wait-- What are--?"  
  
"How many Orbs are there altogether in Avalar--?"  
  
"Alright! Fine! You win!" the little sorcerer growled out, stomping his foot down on the ground in frustration. "If I am to rule... I'll need the assistance of someone familiar with the realms... And their worlds. Therefore... I accept your proposal."  
  
"... And one last thing : You are NOT king until AFTER we've taken care of the dragon."  
  
"HANG ON! That's TWO things!"  
  
"That was a two-part deal. Now do we have an agreement?"  
  
"Fine! Fine! I agree! I agree!"  
  
The faun took in a deep breath, feeling a small sense of victory over the little saurian... She had doubts that Ripto would be a good ruler. But as an advisor, she could at least keep a close watch on him.  
  
She held out her hand to the little dinosaur, and he looked at her hand with a bewildered expression. He looked to the faun with an arch of his brow.  
  
"... It's a handshake," Elora explained. "When people come to an agreement, they shake hands on it."  
  
The little sorcerer scrunched his nose, then, hesitantly, reached out and took the faun's hand, and... Shook it like a wet cloth.  
  
The faun flinched when the little sorcerer flailed about with her hand. She held out her free hand to the little sorcerer to settle him down. After a moment, the little dinosaur released his hold at last, and the faun drew back, rubbing her wrist. He definitely needed to work on his handshakes, that's for certain! But for now, that would need to be saved for another time...  
  
So it was done... Elora had made the agreement : to support Ripto's claim as Avalar's new king once the threat of the dragon was dealt with. The little sorcerer had turned back to Crush and Gulp, and was telling them of what was discussed between he and Elora -- more accurately, bragging that Elora had agreed that he would be king... She really hoped she had made the right choice.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ah! Elora! I've made an important discovery!" Exclaimed the Processor, hurrying to meet up with Elora. He brought the faun over to the dark gem, along with Ripto, Crush and Gulp. "Now, as was said before, these dark gems seem to have a sinister influence on the surrounding environment, draining the life from wherever they're at. So! In order to restore the land, we need to remove the gems!"  
  
"Can it be done?" Asked Elora.  
  
"With enough strength, we should be able to destroy them!"  
  
With enough strength... Luckily they had just the right someone for the job.  
  
"Ripto," the mole turned to the little sorcerer, adjusting his glasses. "Miss Elora has just informed me that you will be aiding us with the dragon... If I could ask a favor of you, could you have Crush smash this gem for me? I'm afraid I'm not as strong as I used to be."  
  
"Smash the crystal?" the little sorcerer repeated. "Crush! You know what to do!"  
  
The blue beast looked down at the sorcerer, before turning to the gem. He reached up and scratched his head.  
  
"... CRUSH. SMASH THE THING."  
  
The dinosaur let out a startled grunt, before stomping over to the dark gem, it's dark energy pulsating. Hoisting up his club, he smashed his weapon down on the gem, shattering it in hundreds of tiny pieces. The ground around them shook and rumbled ; but with the destruction of the gem, the vines wriggled and writhed, and recoiled back into the ground ; the ooze started to dissipate, and the water in the pool returned to normal!  
  
"A-HAH!" The Professor cheered, watching as grass regained it's vibrant autumn colors. "Splendid! Now that we know for certain that these gems can be destroyed, we should make a note in destroying as many as we can!"  
  
The sorcerer, in the meantime, seemed quiet... So those gems held a great amount of power if they were able to alter the environment that much. And he HAD just lost his scepter thanks to the dragon. The sorcerer crossed his arms. Destroy the gems... But what if he used one of them for a new scepter?  
  
"... Ripto."  
  
The little sorcerer found himself startled from his thought. He glanced upward at Elora, who stood right beside him, staring down with that look like a mother that just caught their kid doing something that they weren't supposed to do. "What are you thinking?"  
  
"Um... Nothing."  
  
There was a pause. The little sorcerer tried whistling to himself. Glancing up at Elora who was still glaring down at him.  
  
"... We are not using the Dark Gems," said the faun.  
  
"IRK--!" The little sorcerer grumbled. How did the faun know what he was thinking?  
  
"W-who said anything about using the gems?" Growled Ripto, turning away and sticking his nose up in the air. "Besides that, they're awfully flimsy if Crush is able to destroy 'em..."  
  
... Which... Actually WAS true... Ripto looked to the spot where the gem once was, scrunching his nose up. In theory, a scepter with a dark gem installed could have been a powerful weapon. However, the gems were clearly not indestructible.  
  
Wait... Didn't the red dragon wield a staff with a dark gem?  
  
The little sorcerer's mind was racing again... Maybe, if they could destroy the staff, the dragon could be easier to deal with! It was just a matter of disarming the dragon long enough to destroy the staff...  
  
"... In any case, we have a way of destroying the gems. Good. But that still leaves the dragon," said Ripto, crossing his arms.  
  
"We three have fought him already... And it's thanks to him that I've lost my scepter. How do you suppose we can fight him, once that time comes?"  
  
"I've asked Hunter to visit each of Avalar's worlds," started Elora. "He's collecting Talismans."  
  
"Talismans," the little sorcerer repeated, turning to face the faun. "That's not the first time you've mentioned Talismans... Tell me, what exactly are these Talismans?"  
  
"... They are objects of magical power," Elora started. "There's one found in each of Avalar's worlds. I believe if we collect enough of them, we can use them to defeat the dragon."  
  
"And how many talismans are there?" Asked Ripto. "If you are to be my advisor, you must notify your king of these things."  
  
"You're not king yet, Ripto," the faun answered with a furrow of her brow. "But... There are eighteen altogether."  
  
"Good!" The sorcerer started, slapping his hands together. "See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" He flashed a toothy grin up at the faun, earning him a hard look in return, which he immediately shrugged off.  
  
... Technically, there were FOURTEEN talismans in Avalar. However, Elora thought it best not to give Ripto the full truth... Not yet at least. He also inquired about the orbs, to which Elora explained their purpose in powering up portals. "There are forty of them," said Elora, to which, again, she did not feel entirely certain in giving Ripto the exact number of orbs that were in Avalar. Watch and see how things play out.  
  
"They're important too, so we should be keeping our eyes open for them during our travels."  
"Right... So where to?"  
  
Elora looked around at the Autumn Plains. "I think... We should focus on getting rid of the dark gems around here first... Then we should head back to Summer Forest and see about touching base with Hunter."  
  
"Alright. Lead the way!"


	5. Chapter 5

They were making short work of the dark gems scattered about in the Autumn Plains homeworld thanks to Crush. With each gem destroyed, the corruption of the world lessened ; and before long, the Autumn Plains had returned to normal.  
  
"Well, that was easy enough," said the little sorcerer once Crush had destroyed the last of them... They were on the rooftop of the castle now. Elora looked out, holding her hand up to block the sunlight. The Autumn Plains had returned to normal at last...But she had a feeling that their hunt for the dark gems was far from over.  
  
Moving on, they made their way back to the Summer Forest to continue their cleanup of the dark gems polluting the world... It was here that they met back up with Hunter, who had just returned from the world of Hurricos, stepping out from the portal, and nearly bumping into Gulp. The cheetah let out a startled yelp, and fell on his bottom.  
  
"Hunter!" Elora exclaimed in surprise, spinning around at the sound of the startled cry. Rushing to the cheetah's side, she reached down and helped the cheetah up on his feet. "You alright?"  
  
"Got some bad news, Elora," Hunter started. "Those dark crystals that we've been seein' in the homeworlds... They've started popping up in other places now too!"  
  
"What!? You mean they're now being planted in the other worlds now too?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm afraid so..."  
  
"Well, looks like you're in luck, my feline friend!"  
  
Elora and Hunter turned, looking back to Ripto who had spoken up.  
  
"Just so happens that ME, Crush, and Gulp, are your dark gem cleanup crew!"  
  
"Th-that's right," said Elora with a nod of her head. "We've cleared out the dark gems that were in the Autumn Plains... Then we came back to Summer Forest."  
  
"Yeah... I see you took care of that gem over by the tree! I guess it's nice to know that these gems aren't indestructible."  
  
"Still... It's not good to hear that they're appearing in the other worlds," said Elora. "It's gonna slow us down a lot..."  
  
"... Well, we're not going to get anywhere if we keep whining about it," Ripto started, the little sorcerer crossing his arms. "Let's head over and destroy what we can, before the damage gets to that point of irreversibility!"  
  
Elora's stance on Ripto was still quite murky. But at least he was determined. Even if he was ultimately driven by a selfish motivation, and didn't care about them or... Anyone else other than himself... And the idea that they would have to accept him as Avalar's ruler once all was over and done with was not something she felt comfortable with.  
  
"It was the lesser of two evils," She told herself in her mind, repeating it over and over like a mantra. "It was the lesser of two evils..."  
  
\----  
And so, together, they ventured to the different worlds of Avalar, destroying dark gems, assisting the residents, collecting talismans and gathering orbs... It almost felt like they were stuck in some kind of video game.  
  
Ripto had become quite exasperated with Foreman Bud's stupid little puzzles. The green colosi had informed the little sorcerer that the giant idol head had locked him in there with their tools, and wouldn't let the workers in unless someone solved the three puzzles. The first one was easy enough - hop on some blocks, and turn them all yellow. The next one was to feed some fish to the giant idol head outside, which was a lot easier said than done when you were accompanied by two very large, very hungry dinosaurs.  
  
To add insult to injury, the idol head was also very picky on what kind of fish it ate...  
  
Crush swung his club as a red fish made a leap out of the water. The beast's club made contact, and sent the fish flying over, landing right into the idol's mouth and down it's gullet... But there was a sudden rumbling sound as the fish disappeared down in the idol's throat. The trio found themselves alarmed, thinking that they were getting hit with an earthquake. When all of a sudden, the idol's mouth opened wide, and a great belch echoed across the lake. Alarmed at the sound, Ripto turned just in time to witness the fish being spewed out from the idol's mouth. The next thing he knew, he was buried.  
  
After the little sorcerer was rescued from the pile of fish -- and the idol was now properly fed -- the saurian trio made their way to the final puzzle... And there stood Foreman Bud beside the third -- and thankfully, final puzzle.  
  
"If you jump on these stones in the correct order, you will solve the puzz-- Why do you smell like fish?"  
  
The little sorcerer's lips twitched in agitation at the question. With a low growl, he stomped his foot and said : "Just get on with it!"  
  
"R-right! S-so you have to jump on these stones in the correct order! I-I only know what the first one is, so you'll have to figure the rest out yourself..."  
  
Ripto cursed at the colosi as he walked over, inspecting the stones. Climbing up onto one block and feeling it sink... But in doing so, the other block poked back up.  
  
There was a growl, before he climbed up on another one. And then another. And another. Until at last, the last block he climbed up sank down, and lit up!  
  
Climbing up onto the next block... The others reset.  
  
By now, the frustration was building up. He continued to attempt different combinations of blocks, trying to recognize the patterns, but failing each time.  
  
But after a time, Crush walked over, and looked at the puzzle blocks.  
  
Ever so carefully, the blue beast raised his foot, and stepped down on the block with the green star... Followed by the orange diamond, the orange crescent, the white crescent, and finally, the blue circle.  
  
The blocks lit up, and the Foreman brought the trio back to the tool chamber.  
  
"Nice job! You're pretty smart for a dinosaur!" said the foreman to Crush, who lolled his tongue out and smiled happily like a dog receiving praise. "Here! All I have to give you is this shiny thing I found in our toolbox!"  
  
Rummaging through the tool box, Foreman Bud pulled out an orb, and offered it to Ripto.  
  
"... You owe us THREE orbs after that, BUD."  
  
\---  
  


The sounds of yodeling echoed across the Colossus Valley. The monks had returned to their temples after a yeti had been dealt with, but dark gems had influenced the world... Crush went about smashing any of the dark gems he happened across. In the meantime, the Professor seemed to have gone missing...  
  
"Where did he go?" Elora mused aloud, looking this way and that for any sign of the little mole.  
"I think I heard him say he was headin' off to one of the temples," said Hunter. "You go an' find him! I'm gonna head off an' play a game of Hockey."  
  
"Excuse?" The little sorcerer turned to the cheetah with a look as sharp as a knife.  
  
"Relax, little guy! I heard hockey's a calm an' relaxin' sport!"  
  
"Don't you call me little!"  
  
To that, the cheetah put on a smug smirk as he looked down at the irritable reptile. Ignoring Ripto's retort, he turned back to Elora. "Hey, maybe if I'm lucky, I'll pick up a few souvenirs!" Giving a quick salute, the cheetah darted off.  
  
"Irritable little..."  
  
Elora arched a brow as she looked down at the little sorcerer, cursing and mumbling under his breath. For someone who hated being called little, he had no issue in calling others little, even if they're above his own height.  
  
Following Hunter's directions, they eventually happened upon the Professor, only to find the elderly mole being harassed by an evil spirit. Upon entering the temple, the spirit took flight, and fled off. After witnessing the evil spirit escape, Elora rushed in and knelt down beside the Professor, checking him to make sure he was alright.  
  
"Thank goodness you scared that evil spirit away, Elora."  
  
"Hold on! I was here too!" Exclaimed Ripto, stomping his foot on the ground. "Your KING demands you give him SOME credit!"  
  
"You're not king yet, Ripto!"  
  
"Fine, your Soon-To-Be-King demands some credit!"  
  
The faun rolled her eyes at Ripto's stubbornness, but offered no further word. Adjusting his glasses, the mole looked to Ripto with an acknowledging nod.  
  
"Yes, yes, I will not skimp on credit where it is due, Ripto... I must say, I do believe the spirits were scared of you more-so than Elora."  
  
The little reptile put on a proud smile to that.  
  
"However, I'm afraid that it has now gone and hidden itself within the statues," added the little mole. "If you were to flame all ten statues, I'm sure you would be able to chase it away for good."  
  
"D'OH!! Hey! Now! I don't have a scepter anymore, remember?"  
  
"Well, in that case, a good bonk should do the trick."  
  
Ripto looked back over to Crush... A good bonk from him would result from complete and total destruction most likely. But Ripto didn't really care. As long as the job was done.  
  
"Is everyone here in Avalar so persnickety?" The little sorcerer mused aloud as they went about smashing statues. "If you want something, you gotta lay a magic egg... Or count the hairs on that giant's ass!"  
  
Elora wasn't sure why it happened. But she couldn't help but chuckle at Ripto's raising frustration. "If you want to be a good king around here, you have to be willing to assist the people however you can," said the faun, to which the sorcerer responded with a heavy sigh.  
  
After some time, they managed to find all ten of the statues and chased the evil spirit away, and returned to the Professor to inform him of their success.  
  
"Well done! You've scared the evil spirit away!" Cheered the Professor. Then, from his lab coat, he procured a magic orb, and offered it to Ripto. "Why don't you take this? I borrowed it from the temple..."  
  
"... You borrowed an orb from the temple?" The faun looked at the Professor in mild alarm.  
  
"... Erm... They don't need it."  
  
Before Elora could make any further inquiries, they heard a familiar cheer from outside. Hunter had returned - and he had procured two more orbs!  
  
"See, I told you I'd pick up some souvenirs!"


	6. Chapter 6

Leaving Colossus behind, they visited the other worlds of the Summer Forest. From leaping from fan to fan in order to reach and shut down some machinery that was being used to steal electricity, and chasing some gear grinder thieves making off with some lightning stones in Hurricos, to making their way to Sunny Beach, assisting the turtle kings in freeing their young from boxes, and rescuing them from the clutches of the chef that wanted to make turtle soup. And next was the Aquaria Towers. It was an underwater world inhabited with seahorses, and Ripto honestly wasn't all that fond of the place. He hated being in such a place, deep beneath the ocean, rapidly filling up with water. Even with the Professor's underwater gear, he was discomforted.  
  
Elora couldn't fault him there... And, dare she say it, but a part of her felt bad for him.  
  
The moment they stepped out from the portal, the sorcerer flopped down face-forward into the grass, with both Crush and Gulp looking over at their boss with slight concern.  
  
"Sheesh, and he says I'M the scaredy-cat," Hunter mused aloud to Elora once they had returned to the Summer Forest... The little sorcerer had had the misfortune of standing right where the water would have started pouring down when they were filling the towers back up, and he was on-edge over the incident ever since. "Did you see him with the sharks?"  
  
The faun shushed the cheetah before he said anything further. For one, she didn't want Ripto overhearing the jabs made about him.  
  
She approached him some time later. The little sorcerer was still wringing his cape out, and had taken his shoes off to dry... It was weird seeing his bare feet. Watching him stretch out and wiggle his toes... They were clawed. One in particular stood out on each foot. It was curved like a hook. Slightly bigger than the rest. And sharp.  
  
Killing claws... Elora was familiar with certain saurian species with such a claw. The Lava Lizards of Skelos Badlands come to mind. As dangerous as the environment where they make their home, they are prone to attacking and eating the local villagers ; though some of the bone builder chieftains have found ways of taming them and keeping them as pets.  
  
Though Ripto clearly was not born from Avalar, Elora could not help but to wonder if the little saurian himself was related... After all, both he and the lava lizards had a similar coloration. Most prominently the horn on their head...  
  
"... You doing okay?" Elora asked, trying to keep a friendly tone as she spoke to the little saurian. Ripto glanced over at her with a furrow of his brows, regarding her for a moment before turning his attention to his cape.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
His response was sharp. As always. The faun's ears dropped slightly at the tone of his voice. She wasn't all that surprised. Admittedly.  
  
"Just... Thought I'd check up on you."  
  
"I'm still alive, if that's what you were wondering," said the little sorcerer in a dismissive voice.  
  
The faun's ear twitched slightly. There was a part of her that said drop it and leave him, but another part said to try and strike up SOME kind of conversation with him... If he was to be king of Avalar, he needed to be familiar with the realm. But if she was to be his advisor, then she needed to familiarize herself with him.  
  
She stepped closer to the saurian, and knelt down on the grass beside him... He paused, glancing over at the faun with a hint of curiosity before diverting his gaze. As if pretending she wasn't there.  
  
"... That was the last world of Summer Forest," Elora started after a deep breath. "We've gathered all of the talismans, the orbs, and we've destroyed all of the dark gems in this world. Now all we have left are the worlds in Autumn Plains, then the Winter Tundra... We're doing good."  
  
She looked over at the little sorcerer. He kept his head bowed, avoiding any form of eye contact with her... She gave him a moment, but... He said nothing.  
  
It was hard to read what was going on through his mind... The faun thought for a moment, trying to think of what more to add, but nothing sprang to mind. It was just silence from him. She sat with him for some moments. She said nothing, and neither did he... Her ears twitched as the warm summer breeze blew forth, and she listened to the sounds of the leaves rustling in the wind... The wind against her fur... The smell of the grass...  
  
"... Has there been any sign of the dragon?"  
  
His voice had startled her. She was lost to the atmosphere, brought back only upon hearing his voice.  
  
"N-no, I'm afraid not," she said with a downcast look.  
  
"... Can't let our success get to our heads. That'll be the time when he appears to thwart our progress."  
  
She looked at the sorcerer. "Y-you're right," she said with a slight droop to her ears. "It's best not to let ourselves get distracted..."  
  
... She understood his point. Still... Was there any harm in showing a little bit of positivity?  
  
"... Why are you here?"  
  
Her ears perked up once again, and she looked down at him in surprise. "What?"  
  
"Why are you here? I know you don't like me... I am not your king -- yet -- but neither are you my advisor... So why force yourself to be near me when you have no need to be?"  
  
"... I just... Thought we could try and melt some ice."  
  
"Melt some ice?" Asked the little sorcerer.  
  
"We've had our differences... For lack of any better word," said Elora. "But... Given the circumstances, I figured... We could at least try and get to know one another."  
  
"I... Don't know what all there is that you'd want to know about me," the little sorcerer started, bowing his head. "It's not like I have anything interesting to say about myself."  
  
"You? Having nothing interesting to say?" Said Elora, giving a friendly smirk to the sorcerer. "I doubt it!" To that, the little sorcerer bowed his head, trying to keep his face hidden from the faun... Was he shy? "C'mon, I'm sure there's a lot of things that Ripto the Sorcerer has to say about himself... Where he's from... How he became such a renown wizard... Y'know, just... Stuff!"  
  
She finished with a slight shrug of her shoulders. Still, he remained silent... It was mind boggling! That whole time travelling from world-to-world, the little sorcerer had been a chatterbox ; always shouting out commands to Crush and Gulp, grumbling and complaining about having to go out and do different tasks in order to collect gems. Harassing the locals and introducing himself as their new king...  
  
But now it was like she was seeing a small glimpse at a different person... Beyond that uproarious - dare she say pompous - dinosaur that she was familiar with was a small, quiet little creature. Someone who was reserved, and... Withdrawn... Like he had no idea how to really socialize... Of course, she couldn't exactly say that they'd gotten off at a very good start. He was brought to Avalar by accident, and immediately proclaimed himself as king. She fled with her friends in the hopes of bringing a dragon to Avalar... Stop one tyrant. Accidentally bring a new one. Maybe it was a lost cause.  
  
"... Why are there three homeworlds?"  
  
Elora's ears twitched at the question. She looked back at the little sorcerer to see that he was now looking at her as he asked his question.  
  
"... There are four seasons, and each homeworld here in Avalar seems to be locked in a specific season," said the sorcerer. "But there are only three homeworlds..."  
  
"... There were four. Originally," said Elora, her ears falling back.  
  
"Spring."  
  
"Yes... The Spring Valley..."  
  
"... What was it like?"  
  
Elora drew a breath, thinking back to the different worlds... How many worlds were there? Had it been that long to the point she had forgotten? She had to think...  
  
"... There were the Twin Isles... On one island you had a town of merchants, fishermen, and other seafaring folk. The other was home to the most ruthless pirates that you'd ever meet... There was another world -- Blazing Canyon -- that was home to minotaurs, and the Enchanted Forest that was home to unicorns, fairies, and spriggans... And the homeworld... Grassy meadows, fields of flowers. Lakes. Waterfalls... And above the valley was a castle in the sky."  
  
"... What happened to it?" Asked Ripto.  
  
"... I don't know." The faun closed her eyes. "It happened eight years ago... Me, Zoe, and the Professor were leaving the world, but... My mom-- Mother, and father, stayed behind. They knew something was happening. No one knew what, but... They stayed behind to help."  
  
The faun clenched her eyes, looking away from the sorcerer to hide the tears... Even she herself was prone to some stubbornness. As a child, she would try to fight back tears - sometimes failing at it. Much like now, where she reached up and rubbed the tears away.  
  
"... It was destroyed?"  
  
"I'm not sure... It was... It was like the realm was torn away. As if a great nothingness had swept through... Then it was gone..."  
  
"... You don't think it was--"  
  
"The dark gems? No... No, they weren't there when... When it happened." After a deep breath, the faun stood back up. "The Professor has had his theories about what happened to Spring Valley... He believed it wasn't necessarily destroyed, but... Moved elsewhere. And... That's when he started on the Super Portal."  
  
"... Then I happened."  
  
She was quiet for a moment. Looking down at the little sorcerer and regarding him.  
  
"... What matters to me is ensuring that the realm of Avalar is safe," the faun said to him. "And I would do anything to protect it... I would fight anyone, whether it's you, or the red dragon... It's my fault that he's here, and I intend to correct my mistake. I can't promise complete loyalty to you. But if it ensures the safety and wellbeing of the realm, and of the people that live here... I choose you."  
  
Ripto was silent, regarding the faun beside him... He was surprised by her honesty. Perhaps it might have been too much honesty to some. Yet Ripto found himself admiring the faun, in a way.  
  
"... Touché."


	7. Chapter 7

"Four-hundred gems!?" Exclaimed the cheetah in shock. With the threat of the red dragon, the old bear Moneybags had found an opportunity to capitalize off the chaos that was presently unfolding in Avalar. He was well aware of the danger of the dark gems, and he was well aware that Elora and her group were determined to go out and destroy them. Whatever the cost. "C'mon that's embezzlement!"  
  
"Well I have to make my living somehow. It's not like my condo in Hurricos is cheap, you know," said the bear, puffing up his chest. "So either take it, or leave it."  
  
Hunter glared angrily at the bear, before looking back to Elora for help.  
  
"Go ahead," said the faun with a nod of her head. At last, the cheetah pulled out a small bag of gems and handed it over to the greedy bear begrudgingly.  
  
"Thanks for the gems, Hunter! With all this cash, I can open a Lizard Burger shop in Skelos Badlands!"  
  
The cheetah's jaw dropped at the comment. With a snarl on his face, he made a gesture as if rolling up some non-existent sleeves and was about ready to serve a knuckle-sandwich to the bear, but was stopped by Elora, who ushered the cheetah in through the portal leading in to Zephyr before there was a chance for a fight to break out between the two... Following through was Crush, Gulp, and Ripto, who glanced up at the bear with a warning look, before stepping through.  
  
\----  
  
The fields of Zephyr was bombarded by a squadron of Breezebuilder Bombers. Elora looked out at the battlefield and could only sigh heavily. "Dark gems are draining the worlds of life, but the Land Blubbers and Breezebuilders can't put aside their differences and cooperate for a time?" A civil war between two worlds was not something Elora was hoping to come across...  
  
As they made their way through Zephyr, avoiding the Breezebuilder onslaught and destroying any dark gems along the way, they met up with a farmer -- Little Bo Beep -- who had lost her sheep -- erm, Cowleks -- and didn't know where to find them! With all the battles going on all the time, they kept running away.  
  
And of course, Bo Beep had tasked them with the job of finding the Cowleks, and returning them back to their pens.  
  
On top of that, they also encountered Private Romeo during their search for the missing cowleks, and the young landblubber was in a bit of a dilemma himself... That being that he was separated from his lovebird, and the Professor had apparently agreed to help him get reunited with Juliet.  
  
"Well, we've already found three of the cowleks, and the last two seem to be in this area," said Hunter, looking around and spotting missing two cowleks. "Why don't you an' Ripto head up to the Professor? I heard he's got some magic beans that could help ya' reach your destination!"  
  
"... Just where did he procure these magic beans?" asked Ripto, looking up to Elora, who could only shrug her shoulders.  
  
\----  
  
Leaving Hunter, Crush and Gulp behind to contend with the last of the cowleks, Elora and Ripto made their way up the valley and caught up with the Professor.  
  
"Ah! Elora! Ripto!" The old mole greeted, waving a hand at the two. "I'm assuming Private Romeo sent you up to meet with me?"  
  
"You are correct on that," said Ripto. "Since you know who sent us, I'll assume that you'll know why we're here."  
  
"I reckon it's to help him reunite with his beloved, and I have just the plan to reach our objective... You see, I have this magic bean-- erm... Seed! Just give me a moment... Ah! Here it is! Now, you see those two patches of soil over there?" The mole gestured to the aforementioned patches. "Why don't you try and plant them to see what grows?"  
  
The sorcerer could not help but to arch his brow at the mole. Reaching over, he took the seed from the Professor's hand and looked it over.  
  
"You know what I don't understand," RIpto started, looking between Elora, then back to the Professor. "If you were really that devoted to your lady-friend, why would you send someone else to do your dirty work? You didn't read about any of that in those silly little lovey-dovey stories where the knight in shining armor braves the many dangers to be reunited with his one twu wuv.  
  
But alas! It was up to them to reunite the two lovebirds -- erm... A lovebird and a worm... And it was a truly daunting task. Planting one seed resulted in a beanstalk sprouting from the patch of dirt. But they needed more seeds to grow more beanstalks to help them on their way up to Juliet. And it was a very long way down should any of them fall... But they were able to overcome their obstacles... Or at least the first half of the obstacles.  
"Well done, you two!" The Professor said once Elora and Ripto had reached him on the upper levels. "Here are two more seeds to get you the rest of the way--"  
  
"Hold the phone!" Exclaimed the sorcerer, stomping his foot on the ground. "How the crap did you get all the way up here?"  
  
"I teleported."  
  
"You tele-- wha--? HEY! How come WE weren't given that option!?"  
  
"Well... You see, my teleportation device is one of my many works-in-progress," The Professor explained, holding up a remote controller-like device. "I've been tweaking and adjusting the settings, but as of now, the device only recognizes my D.N.A... I've... Erm... Attempted to try and teleport one of my pupils - Agent 9 - but the results weren't... Particularly pretty..."  
  
The old mole paused when he noticed the terrified looks from both Ripto and Elora. "He-he's still alive! The damage wasn't permanent! It's just that the device still needs a bit of work before it is perfected... A-anyway! Why don't you take this with you? It's been cluttering up my pockets!"  
  
The old mole procured an orb, and offered it to Elora... With furrowed brows, the sorcerer looked up at the faun and mumbled something along the lines of : "What a way to change the subject..."  
  
Thankfully, Juliet was not far from where they were, and they were able to reach the blue songbird with the last of the beanstalk seeds given to them by the Professor.  
  
"Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo? OH! THERE'S Romeo! You can have this! I don't need it anymore..."  
  
The blue bird gave the two of them another orb, and flew out the window, and made her way down to be with Private Romeo.  
  
Ripto stood there watching as the bird departed, with his mouth hanging agap. All that hard work, and the stupid bird could have just FLOWN out the window? With a groan, the little sorcerer fell over backwards.


	8. Chapter 8

"How lucky for me that you came along! My machinery is broken, and the gears I need to repair it are scattered all over the tracks. Could you hop on that trolley up there and collect 'em for me?"  
  
The sorcerer stared up the steps wide-eyed at the trolley... He'd seen the tracks the moment they came to Breeze Harbor, and had been curious about them ever since. But now that they were there at the trolley station, he couldn't contain his excitement. He made toward the steps, only for Fisher the Breezebuilder to stop him.  
  
"Not so fast, little guy! I don't think it's safe for someone of your stature to go around on the trolley!"  
  
"WHAT!?!?" Exclaimed the sorcerer, stomping his foot on the ground in frustration. "This is absurd! We are on a very important mission of collecting talismans, destroying dark gems, and gathering orbs -- which I'm sure you're saving up as a reward for your collect 'em quest!"  
  
"You're right ; but I don't believe it's safe for someone your height to be on the trolley... Maybe your cheetah friend can go up instead?"  
  
"I sure can!" said Hunter, striding up the steps to the trolley.  
  
"THIS ISN'T FAIR!" Cried the little sorcerer, stomping his foot on the ground. "You're treating me like a kid that doesn't meet the height requirement at a theme park!!"  
  
\----  
  
"The nerve of that stupid pelican!" Snarled the little sorcerer after they had departed the Breeze Harbor world... Ripto was in quite the mood after he'd been denied a ride on the trolley... The little sorcerer was behaving exactly like a child who was denied access to a ride because he truly did not reach the height requirement.  
  
"Who does he think he is? To deny his future king a ride on his confounded trolley? That is discrimination, I tell you! And discrimination will not be tolerated under my rule!"  
  
Elora and Hunter both exchanged amused glances between one another while Ripto went on his little tirade. There was something funny about the sorcerer's complaints, considering who they were coming from...  
  
But after a time, once Ripto had settled somewhat, Elora approached and walked by his side as they made their way to the next portal.  
  
"Tell you what... Once we're done with the dragon, I'll head back to Breeze Harbor and see if I can work something out with Fisher," said the faun to Ripto. Elora noted that Ripto's steps came to a slight slowdown, and the annoyed scowl on his face had softened.  
  
"... You would do that?"  
  
Elora paused, looking down at the little sorcerer. It wasn't so much the question as it was the tone in his voice. Soft. Awkward... With a warm smile, she nodded her head. "Right... After all, we... Do need a trolley that can accommodate the future king of Avalar.  
  
Ugh! She was spoiling him! The faun was inwardly cringing at herself, but... Kept on her warm smile.  
  
\----  
  
As they passed through Fracture Hills, the little sorcerer could not help but to notice the occasional glances that were directed toward him.  
  
"Isn't he the one that came to Avalar last week?" he could hear one of the local fauns whispering, gathering around in small groups to exchange gossip. "He's smaller than I expected."  
  
"And cuter too!"  
  
The little sorcerer reached around and wrapped his cape around himself, shrinking back behind Elora to conceal himself from the gaze of the other fauns.  
  
"... Goodness, you are shy," said Elora, looking back to the little sorcerer with a smile.  
  
"I'm not shy! I just don't... Do well in crowds."  
  
He DIDN'T do well in crowds?? Elora found that hard to believe. He wanted to be king, didn't he? As king, he would have to deal with the occasional crowd... There really was more to him than he let on, and Elora could not help but to feel determined to learn more about him.  
  
\----  
  
"Just stand still, he says... I'll turn your boots to gold, he says--"  
  
"HUNTER!"  
  
The cheetah nearly jumped out of his fur at the sound of Elora's voice. He looked up to see the faun come rushing over, alongside Ripto, Crush and Gulp.  
  
"Oh! H-hi, Elora!" Greeted Hunter, smiling sheepishly as he waved a hand, clearly embarrassed over his predicament. "About the block of stone I'm stuck in? Bit of a long story! I'd appreciate it mightily if you went and located that alchemist. He owes me a bit of a favor, as you can see."  
  
"... Is it that block of stone that your feet are stuck in?" Inquired the sorcerer. "You know, we've been goin' around freein' Satyrs from stone... Crush, would you be willing to assist our feline friend?"  
  
"ERM--!! N-no thanks! I do believe that Alchemist is just around the corner!"


	9. Chapter 9

Good heavens, Ripto had no idea why, but it seemed like the people of Avalar took some kind of amusement in making things as hard and excruciating as possible. The alchemist in question was right next door to where Hunter was stuck. You would have expected the alchemist to have turned the corner and given Hunter the potion.  
  
INSTEAD, the Alchemist had thought it best to take a detour through volcanic landscapes infested with hostile Earthshapers. He was lucky that they had Crush and Gulp on their side, but the Alchemist still cut things pretty close!  
  
"I swear, the old goat was as blind as a bat," said the little sorcerer in exasperation. Returning to the Autumn Plains, the group decided that they would take a moment of rest for the time.  
  
"We've been goin' from world-to-world non-stop... We've got a pretty good thing going on!" Said Elora, turning back to the others. "But I think... We can take some moment to rest. Wouldn't you say?"  
  
There was no word from Ripto. But there didn't seem to be any protest, judging on how the little sorcerer plopped himself down on the ground in exhaustion.  
  
\----  
  
Elora checked up with Hunter, the Professor, and Zoe... They still had Skelos Badlands, Crystal Glaciers, Magma Cone, Scorch and Shady Oasis left.  
  
"That's five talismans left," said Elora.  
  
"And right now, we've got... Thirty-four orbs?"  
  
"And we've been destroying the dark gems in each of Avalar's worlds," added Zoe. "We're doing great."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
The faun fell silent. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked to Ripto, with Crush and Gulp keeping close to the little sorcerer... He truly was closed off.  
  
It was a sad thing... None of this would have happened had he not been here... Things would not have escalated had she not thought about bringing a dragon to Avalar... In dealing with the dragon, she doubted they would have made nearly as much progress as they had without Ripto, and the aid of his monsters.  
  
With a sigh, Elora pardoned herself, and made to approach the sorcerer.  
  
"... So the guardian of Avalar returns," said the little sorcerer, sitting up against Gulp.  
  
"... Please, I'm no guardian," the faun answered, tapping a hoof against the ground.  
  
"Is the most knowledgeble person here, is arguably the most dedicated in ensuring the safety of the worlds, and of the happiness of the peoples that live there... If that doesn't qualify as a guardian, I don't know what does."  
  
That... Oddly enough, was probably the nicest thing Ripto had ever said about her.  
  
"That hardly qualifies me as a guardian," the faun started, scratching the back of her ear. "Sure, I know a lot about the world of Avalar, but... I'm no guardian... I'm not a marksman like Hunter, nor am I an inventor like the Professor. And I can't use magic the way Zoe does..."  
  
"But you are the driving force in banding everyone together..." The sorcerer looked up. "You think there'd be any kind of cooperation if it were me dealing with, say, Hunter?"  
  
"... I suppose not." Elora admitted with a slight smile. "He's a good guy... He's brash, and he acts before he thinks a lot of the time... But he has a good heart."  
  
She looked over to the sorcerer, and... There was something about the look in his eyes. A loneliness. It had taken the faun off guard to see him with such a somber look.  
  
After a moment, the faun settled herself down beside the little sorcerer. "Why don't you come join us?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You three always keep your distance from us... I... W-we... I know we got off on a bad start, but... We've been doing well working together... Why not come over and join us?"  
  
"... Like I said: I don't do well with crowds..."  
  
"... So why do you want to be king then?" Asked the faun with a slight arch of her brow. "Ripto, I told you before : being king means taking on a lot of responsibilities. You need to look after the world you govern. And people will be coming to you to seek out your aid... As king, you will, inevitably, be dealing with crowds."  
  
"Yeah, well... I thought being king meant doing whatever you want," said the little sorcerer, scrunching up his nose. "I thought being king meant gaining the peoples respect and devotion. Being king meant that people would do whatever you want. People would give you whatever you want--"  
  
"Ripto, it doesn't work like that," Elora said, interrupting the sorcerer before he could go any further. "That's NOT what being king is all about! You can't demand respect and devotion from your people, you have to earn it. Even a tyrant does not have that freedom of doing whatever they want, though they live under that illusion."  
  
There was a huff... The little sorcerer looked away from the faun, wrapping his cape around himself as though it were a blanket... Seeing the little saurian turn like that was disheartening, and she was starting to feel a sense of doubt in her heart... She had agreed to him being king. And he had agreed to take her as his advisor. But would it matter? He would be king. And whatever advice she'd give him would go on ignored... She... Couldn't allow him to be king, if he was going to rule by force.  
  
Yet... She couldn't help but have this distinct feeling as though something were troubling him... From the look in his eyes, she felt he was dealing with some kind of... Inner turmoil, or something... Something was festering in his heart, and she wasn't entirely certain what it was. But she wanted to know...  
  
"What's the matter?" She asked.  
  
"What's the matter?" Ripto repeated, looking back over at the faun with furrowed brows. "Nothing's the matter! What, just because I don't want to talk to someone automatically means something's wrong? You've got your friends--"  
  
"Is that what's troubling you? I have friends, but you don't?"  
  
The sorcerer looked to the faun with a sneer. Elora braced herself for the retort that was to follow, but nothing came. Ripto bit his lip, and turned away... Had she hit a sore spot of his?  
  
"... Ripto," the faun started, trying to maintain a calm voice. "You don't have to keep yourself closed off like this... You've got friends - look at Crush and Gulp! And... We can be your friends to if you--"  
  
"I don't want your friendship!" The little saurian exclaimed, rising up and turning to the faun. "You want to know what happened when I tried to make friends? Oh, look! It's that weak little runt Ripto, the dinosaur that wants to be a wizard! Silly little Ripto! Don't you know that dinosaurs and magic don't mix? The last time I EVER tried to make friends with ANYONE, all I got out of it was nothing but hurt!"  
  
The faun recoiled from the sorcerer when he went off at her, completely taken by surprise by his outburst, and speechless from what he said... She hadn't meant to coerce such a reaction from him.  
  
After a moment, the sorcerer, too, seemed to have realized what he had said, and turned away from the faun, mumbling something under his breath in frustration... Something was festering within his little heart - something that had been troubling him for a very long time. That much was clear to her now. And it was clear that, whatever secrets he was guarding, he was not ready to reveal them.  
  
"... Alright."  
  
The faun stood herself up... She regarded the little sorcerer for a moment longer, before turning and quietly walking away.  
  
\----  
  
The Skelos Badlands were known as one of the hottest -- and most hostile of all the worlds in Avalar, with fire wizards, catbats, and lava lizards. To say nothing of the environment itself. Barren deserts, and volcanos with extreme levels of activity... Worse of all was the effect that the dark gems had on the Skelos Badlands. The Bonebuilders, known as the masters of this fiery world, had to vacate from their villages due to the sudden increase in activity from the volcanos. But doing so has left them vulnerable, as the presence of the dark gems has also agitated the wildlife greatly...  
  
There was one village that the Bonebuilders could use for shelter, but it was infested with lava lizard eggs -- and the eggs were ready to hatch...  
  
For now, it was all they had to work with... As the bridge was lowered, Elora, Hunter, Ripto, and Crush cautiously passed over into the village, while the Professor and Zoe stayed behind with Gulp to keep watch over the waiting villagers(that and the bridge was quite rickety, and they did not want to take the chance of the bridge breaking under Gulp's weight).  
  
They looked to the eggs... They were shaking. The shells were starting to crack the further they went in. They paused in their steps ; and as they did so, all movement from the eggs halted... As if the eggs were aware of their movement.  
  
Elora looked to Hunter. The cheetah had his bow at the ready, and was just in the process of notching an arrow... Ripto, likewise, turned to Crush. The beast had his club ready, and was ready to smash.  
... A single step forward, and a loud crack echoed. The eggs hatched, and Lava Lizards ran rampant throughout the village, giving chase to the residing Bonebuilders.  
  
Hunter let loose several electric arrows at the saurians, stunning them. Crush gave chase to some, clobbering them with his club, while Elora and Ripto led the villagers to safety.  
  
The lava lizards were ferocious, charging right toward the fleeing villagers with great hunger. One was felled, followed by the next. At last, eight lizards were defeated, and the village was safe.  
  
For their efforts in dealing with the lava lizards, Lumpy gifted them with an orb... But a screech echoed from the sky above. Pterodactyls came flying in from the horizon, dropping more eggs into the village... Before there was any chance to cooperate, the eggs hatched, and the lava lizards started wreaking havoc all over again! Hunter cursed, rushing out to help stop the attacking dinosaurs. Elora, too, rushed out to aid the villagers, when she was smacked in the back by one of the beast's tails. She tumbled forward, and was nearly knocked over one of the ledges!  
  
The faun cried out. Feeling the heat from below made it difficult for her to cling... Her fingers were slipping - and fast! It was then that a clawed hand reached out to her, gripping her wrist.  
  
"Ripto!" Elora exclaimed as the little sorcerer clung on... It took a great deal of effort on his part, given his small stature, but he held on to her with all his might... She could feel his claws digging in, and she flinched at the prickling pain. But he pulled. "R-Ripto! Look out!"  
  
The sorcerer turned his head. A lava lizard was making it's charge toward them with it's mouth open wide... Only for the saurian to fall on it's side once struck by one of Hunter's arrows. The cheetah rushed forward, and helped the sorcerer in pulling Elora back up.


	10. Chapter 10

With the threat of the lava lizards taken care of, the village was safe again -- and this time for good... They were given another orb for their efforts. But the faun was hurt. In his efforts of saving her, Ripto had left Elora with several scratches to her wrist. The Bonebuilder Shamans were quick to offer their aid in mending her injuries, as well as treating the others to food.  
  
To the Bonebuilders, nothing was more rewarding than food. And Crush and Gulp were especially thankful of such generosity.  
  
Though the sorcerer had drawn blood, the scratches thankfully did not run too deeply... With the right amount of salve and bandaging, the shamans had tended to the faun's wounds.  
  
They had returned to the Autumn Plains -- and a good thing too, as the heat from the Skelos Badlands had worn the group down greatly... A good thing that the portal was situated right before the pond, as the water was definitely needed to help refresh the group.  
  
It was nice seeing Crush and Gulp enjoying themselves... They were terrifying beasts when Elora first saw them. But after being with them, they kind of grew on her. They were more like big, giant dogs more than the ferocious beasts that Ripto claimed they were. And they were highly devoted to the little sorcerer...  
  
He DID have friends... If he'd only just open his eyes to them.  
  
She looked to the little sorcerer, still keeping a distance from them. Only this time, Crush and Gulp were not at his side... He was alone.  
  
She frowned... Their last conversation was still fresh in Elora's mind. She did not wish to provoke the sorcerer's ire, but she felt she owed him thanks... After a time, she willed herself up, and approached the little sorcerer.  
  
"Ripto?" She called out to the little sorcerer. No words spoken. Not even a glance over the shoulder. After a moment, she drew closer. "I... Wanted to say thank you. For saving me back there."  
  
"... Does it hurt?"  
  
"What? O-oh!" The faun looked down at her bandaged wrist. "It's fine ; it's nothing to worry about... The shamans did a good job patching it up. To tell you the truth, I don't even notice it," she finished with a slight smile... She did not sit down beside the little sorcerer. After her last conversation, she was hesitant... After a moment, she heard a soft sigh from the little sorcerer, and she noticed he had bowed his head.  
  
"I didn't mean to leave you with those scars..."  
  
"... It's better that you left me with these scars than if you'd have left me to die," said the faun... She approached, standing closer to the little sorcerer, but she would not sit next to him. "Ripto... I mean what I say when I say thank you... If I may... I'd also like to offer you an apology."  
  
The sorcerer glanced over to the faun with a slight arch to his brow. The faun took in a breath, and continued : "For our conversation before... I didn't mean to upset you."  
  
She paused, waiting to see if he had anything to add, but he said nothing... Should she continue?  
  
"... Look, if you don't want to talk about yourself, that's fine," the faun started, trying to pick her words carefully. "But I just... If you need someone... Anyone... We're here. We'll listen."  
  
Silence. That was all there was... She said what she wanted to say. She turned to make her leave, only to halt when, upon a sudden, he spoke up :  
  
"I used to admire dragons... Long ago."  
  
Her ears twitched in surprise at the sound of his voice. She turned, looking back to the little sorcerer. He had fallen silent, wrapping his cape around him. She approached the little sorcerer, and... After a moment, she settled herself down beside him.  
  
"It's okay," she said in a soft voice. Slowly, carefully reaching her hand out to him, her fingers brushed against his shoulder. The dinosaur jumped, and shew drew her hand back. He looked at her. And she looked right back... And she reached for him again. And when she did, she found that he had moved himself closer, pressing his nose into the palm of her hand.  
  
He was warm... And surprisingly soft, she had noted. Like peach fuzz... Slowly, gently, she rubbed the little saurian on his nose, and his expression turned soft... There was a slight twitch to her ear, and she caught the sound of a soft but audible purr.  
  
He said nothing further. But Elora was alright with that. Maybe, given enough time, he will open up more... For now, she was proud with what she had right now. It was a small step, but... She felt it was the step in the right direction.


	11. Chapter 11

_"If you need someone... Anyone... We're here. We'll listen."_  
  
The faun's words kept repeating in his mind... If he needed someone to talk to... But what was there to talk about? His childhood? She didn't need to know about that -- none of them needed to know about that. The only one in his life to know anything was Gulp, but even he didn't know about everything.  
  
As far as Ripto was concerned, no one needed to know what he went through. Or why he hated dragons. Just that he hated them with a burning passion, and that was that. No questions asked.  
  
... Yet there had been a time where he had admired them. That much he admitted. But he was young and stupid back then. And a fool to have believed he could have fit in with them. With anyone, really... And he didn't feel that he'd fit in with Elora's little group either.  
  
The irony from the whole situation still humored him... He arrives in Avalar. She plans to bring a dragon to Avalar to be rid of him. Dragon turns out to be a bigger threat. So she seeks him out to help him in ridding Avalar of the dragon she brought. The whole thing was as big a headache for him as it was for her, no doubt.  
  
Almost as bad as the headache he had from that monkey that threw the coconut at him back at Scorch...  
  
... And after they left the desert palace world, the faun was right there checking up on him.  
  
"You look like a bruised peach!" She had told him with a slight chuckle to her voice.  
  
"I'm not a peach!" He grumbled in protest. Though if he had to be honest, he preferred being called a peach over a pumpkin...  
  
She shifted closer to him ; and to his surprise, she had pressed her lips to the bruised spot on his head. He looked at her, confused. But she said nothing. Just... Smiled at him warmly. Gave him a gentle caress to his cheek, and moved on, leaving him with a flutter in his heart.  
  
Luckily Gulp was there to help the little sorcerer. After Elora had left, Ripto had gone completely numb.  
  
A kiss... A kiss... He'd never received a kiss before... That small, simple gesture had left the sorcerer completely and utterly speechless...  
  
By the portal leading to Shady Oasis, Elora, Hunter, Zoe and the Professor waited for Ripto, Crush, and Gulp... Upon seeing the state the little sorcerer was in, the cheetah leaned over to the faun and whispered : "What did you DO to him??"  
  
\----  
  
"HEY! You give that back!" Cried the cheetah, giving chase to a thief that had made off with one of the hippo's magical brass lamps. Turning down one hallway, then twisting down the next. The thief's mocking little "Nya-nyas!" did not go unheard, and only served to further fluster the cheetah. He was pushing himself to his limits, leaping and bounding when all of a sudden -- CRUSH!  
  
The big, blue monster swung his club down, perfectly timed and squashed the thief. The stolen lamp went flying, clattering on the ground, before coming to a rest at Ripto's feet. The little sorcerer picked the lamp up with a smug smirk, and walked over to the cheetah, handing it over.  
  
Hunter looked down at the sorcerer with surprise -- and maybe a hint of suspicion as well, before taking it from the saurian's little claws. After giving the lamp a quick lookover, the cheetah looked back down at Ripto and gave him a slight smile. He handed the lamp back over to the sorcerer.  
  
"That's yours to turn in... You've earned the credit for it."

\----  
  


"That's all fourteen talismans!" Hunter cheered as they returned to the Autumn Plains. The faun scratched her ear, looking over to the little sorcerer with an awkward look... She recalled she had told him that there were eighteen talismans and forty orbs, when altogether there were fourteen talismans and sixty-four orbs. At the present, they were with sixty-four orbs. She hadn't fully trusted Ripto at the time, figuring to give him a false number on talismans and orbs. But it seemed that the little sorcerer had all but forgotten the number anyway.

"... That's all of the talismans in Avalar," the faun said. "We've got a good number of orbs on hand, and we've destroyed a good majority of the dark gems."

"Now all that's left is to find the dragon," said Ripto... Conveniently enough, it was at that moment when Zoe the fairy came whipping to meet up with the group.

"Elora! I've found him!" Said the fairy. All attention was on Zoe now as she recounted what she discovered. "The red dragon is down in the overlook... And he has an ally with him. A scarecrow with a pumpkin for a head, and a large scythe."

"We have to stop them!" Said Elora.

They hurried to the door that lead down to the overlook... The dragon had locked it with his magic ; but with the talismans on hand, they were able to overcome the magic lock.

She could hear her own heartbeat... Was this the end to their journey? Already? She couldn't help but feel as though there was more... She was nervous.

"... This is it," she said.

"... We'll fight them."

Elora looked to Ripto as he spoke.

"True, I may not have a scepter on hand, but... I have faith in these two," the little sorcerer said, setting his hand on Gulp's snout. And Crush's.

"Don't think you're gonna be goin' in alone." It was Hunter who had spoken now. "Elora tamed some Pterodactyl's from Skelos Badlands. We'll be usin' 'em to drop in objects that you can use to fight that big ugly dragon!"


	12. Chapter 12

"You've served me well, Toasty," said the red dragon to his sidekick ; a scarecrow as tall as him, clad in a black cloak and a pointed hat kneeled before the red dragon as he sat upon the throne. "As a reward for your efforts in bringing the dark gems to the world of Avalar, I shall enlist you as my general... Revenge will be yours."  
  
"Not so fast!"  
  
The dragon's ears twitched. That little dinosaur and his two mutants came charging in onto the arena. The dragon sighed exasperatedly. "You again? I'd have thought you'd have gone crawling away with your tail between your legs after our last meeting."  
  
"You REALLY don't know me all that much, do you?"  
  
"No, and quite frankly, I don't care," said the red dragon with a dismissive wave of the hand. "Toasty, you know what to do--"  
  
THWACK!  
  
The dragon's eyes widened when a scraggly sheep went flying his way, ducking just in time before the fodder had the chance to smack him in the face. He looked over, listening as the sheep's terrified bleat went echoing as he disappeared over the horizon. Turning back, he looked at the black cloak, now laying in a heap before the blue monster.  
  
"Well, THAT was an anticlimactic fight," the sorcerer remarked, leaning against one of Gulp's horns and checking his claws. The dragon's brows furrowed.  
  
"... Do tell, how is it you came to be here?" Inquired the dragon. The little sorcerer shifted, sliding down from Gulp's snout.  
  
"So me and the faun worked out a little deal," said the sorcerer. "Basically, I kill you -- though she didn't exactly use those words -- and I get to be king. And she gets to be my advisor."  
  
"Was she not the one that brought me to Avalar for those exact same reasons to begin with?" Inquired the red dragon, setting a hand to his hip.  
  
"Yeah, I try not to think too hard on it myself," said the little sorcerer with a shrug of his shoulders. "Anyway, we came to an agreement. So we've been goin' around and cleanin' up the mess that you left. Namely, destroying all those dark gems that you've been planting throughout the worlds."  
  
The red dragon's lips twitched in annoyance. All that effort, almost immediately gone to waste! No matter... Red had more tricks up his sleeves.  
  
With a huff, the red dragon aimed his scepter down at the little sorcerer. Crush and Gulp readied themselves for an attack.  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
... Something felt wrong.  
  
The sorcerer felt a slight pain in his head. A mild migraine. Or so he thought. As Ripto looked up at the red dragon, he found it hard to focus... He opened his mouth to speak ; but what came was nothing more than a pained yell.  
  
Crush and Gulp turned to the sorcerer in alarm. He had collapsed to his knees, clutching at his heart. Panic and concern had washed over the two larger dinosaurs ; and when Gulp went to offer comfort, he was met with a slash from Ripto's claws.  
  
There was a sinister glow to the sorcerer's eyes... He was snarling. Clawing at the ground... It was then that he began to change... He was growing. His teeth turned sharp, and his claws sharper. His clothes stretched to the point of tearing. In a matter of minutes, he was as big as Crush. And when he looked upon them, there was bloodlust in his eyes, as though he were possessed by something bestial.  
  
The dragon had tapped into his heart, and he had transformed Ripto into something monstrous... And now, the sorcerer was charging at the two with a wild snarl.

\----  
  
The overlook echoed with the sound of clashing beasts. Gulp and Crush braced themselves for the attack from Ripto -- or rather, the monster Ripto had been transformed into...  
  
With a ferocious roar, he charged at the two. Gulp was the first to meet the attack, rearing up and charging at Ripto with all his might. With a mighty roar, the transformed Ripto seized the attacker by the horns, but Gulp persisted, pushing the beast back.  
  
Crush could only stand there and stare, confused as to what was going on... He knew what was happening, but... Why? What happened to the boss? He couldn't fight the boss!  
  
Gulp bellowed out at Ripto. But with a twist, Ripto had tossed the green beast over onto his side, and not set his eye on Crush. And he charged at the confused beast, and there was no effort made to fight back. Crush cried out, in pain and confusion as Ripto drove his teeth into his arm. With all the strength he could muster, Gulp had pushed himself back up on all fours, and made a charge.  
  
The pterodactyls were flying in now. And from their backs, Elora and Hunter watched the ensuing chaos... What was going on?  
  
"Elora! That orange dinosaur they're both fighting...!"  
  
  
The faun's blood froze when she looked down on the battle... Crush, and Gulp, both fighting a ferocious beast, orange, with killer claws and a single horn upon it's head, twisted and sharp... It didn't take long for either of them to put two-and-two together. They knew exactly who the beast was. And seeing him as he was in that very moment made her heart sink.  
  
"We have to do something!" Elora quickly scanned their surroundings, and immediately found the red dragon upon the throne, with eyes glowing a sinister purple -- the same color as what Ripto's were... There wasn't a single doubt in mind : Ripto was being controlled by the red dragon.  
  
"Hunter! You go and help Crush and Gulp! I'm going after the dragon!"  
  
"Huh? Hey! Wait!"  
  
Too late. Elora was already urging her pterodactyl on to lead an attack on the red dragon... A sudden yelp of pain alerted Hunter back to the dueling saurians, and he urged his flying mount on.  
  
Clawing and biting, Ripto fought against the other two. He swiped at Crush's face, knocking the blue beast backward, and was ready to make a lunge when Hunter swooped in on him. The pterodactyl screeched, and clawed at the orange beast, prompting him to make several swipes, each one missing, but not by much.  
  
Hunter urged his pterodactyl to fly away ; and before he realized it, Ripto was giving chase, making several leaps up at the flying dinosaur... The cheetah looked back, just in time to see Ripto make a swipe at the pterodactyl, missing it's wing just by a mere inch.  
  
Looking to Elora, he witnessed the faun urging hers to make a dive at the dragon, clawing and pecking at his head. The dragon's eyes had lost it's glow, and he turned his attention now to the faun. He swiped, with hand and staff, in an effort to lose the assaulting pterodactyl.  
  
Back to Ripto, Hunter had noticed that while Elora was busy distracting the red dragon, Ripto had slowed his pursuit. He'd lost the glow in his eyes ; and now, the beast was looking around himself in confusion... Then, there was a screech. The red dragon swung his staff, and made collision with Elora's pterodactyl, sending the poor creature flying, with the faun falling from it's back. And he aimed his staff at Ripto, and the glow returned.  
  
With a roar, Ripto made his charge, now at the defenseless faun. He made a leap, all claws outstretched... Then Crush came, swinging his club at Ripto, making a hard smack to the monster's head, sending him spinning backwards... Both of them were at Elora's side. But the beast -- Ripto -- kept at it. Snarling, and lunging... And now, both Crush and Gulp were fighting against the monstrous dinosaur.  
  
"Hunter!" Elora called out. "The dragon! He's controlling Ripto!"  
  
The cheetah looked to the red dragon ; and sure enough, he had his eyes fixed on Ripto, the dark gem on his staff glowing as brightly as his eyes...  
  
That gave Hunter an idea... Clinging onto the pterodactyl tightly, he urged the flying saurian onward. And with a screech, he stretched out his legs, and snatched the staff right out from the red dragon's grasp. And as he ascended, he could hear the red dragon shouting out from below : "GIVE THAT BACK, YOU MANGY CAT!"  
  
"Yeah, sure! I'll get right on it!" Hunter called back, taking his pterodactyl as high as he possibly could. And at last, he let go, watching as the staff fell, it's dark gem shattering as it made collision with the arena floor. "Hyeah!" The cheetah cheered, pumping his fist in the air.  
  
Smoke puffed from the dragon's nostrils. Spreading his wings, he took flight and departed, leaving the arena with the last call of "You haven't seen the last of me, you impertinent fools!"  
  
"Yeah, like there isn't enough saturday morning cartoon villains that say the exact same thing," said the cheetah with a roll of his eyes...  
  
There was a rumble. Looking back, Hunter saw that the monster had been beaten at last ; and with the red dragon's spell broken, Ripto was returning to his normal form. But he was beaten, battered and bruised from the fight. Crush and Gulp were both at his side, nudging the little sorcerer with their noses.  
  
But there was no movement.


	13. Chapter 13

It was a fierce battle. All three of the beasts had been battered, bruised and beaten. But with the destruction of the red dragon's staff, the influence he held on Ripto had been severed, and the sorcerer was returned to his normal self. But the injuries he sustained in his monstrous form were tolling for his little body.  
  
Crush and Gulp were at his side, nudging the little sorcerer with their noses, whimpering when there was no response...  
  
Pushing herself up, Elora rushed to the little sorcerer, taking her up in his arms... He lived. But he was out of it. The fight. The transformation... It had drained him of all energy.  
  
She looked over her shoulder to see the red dragon spread his wings and take flight, vowing that they had not seen the last of him... The coward... Elora felt even more determined than ever to beat the dragon, but they could not pursue him. Not now while Ripto was in the state he was in.  
  
Once the dragon had taken his leave, she looked down to the sorcerer in his arms, now seemingly smaller than ever... The blue beast gently nudged his cheek. Wet streaks streamed down from his eyes.  
  
These poor creatures... With Ripto in her arms, she stood up. Hunter had just landed, and was making his way to her. A fairy was at his side. White haired, with a dress as white as snow... Alas, introductions had to be put on hold.  
  
They had taken him up to the infirmary tower. Crush and Gulp stuck by Elora's side, both of them not once taking their eyes from the little sorcerer. Concern was present in Gulp's eyes ; and even now, tears streamed down Crush's cheeks, for fear that Ripto could very well slip away at any second.  
  
Elora felt that same concern as well...  
  
They were both very faithful to the little sorcerer. Keeping close to him the whole way through -- or at least as close as they could be. When they reached the infirmary, she had found that the doorway was too small for them to fit through. She left the door open, so that they could see inside. It was the least she could do for them.  
  
Ripto... He truly did have friends, but he was too stubborn to admit to it... Or maybe he was afraid.  
  
'The last time I ever tried to make friends, all I got out of it was nothing but hurt.' 'I had admired dragons once. Long ago.' Words that Ripto himself had spoken, and they had remained fresh in her mind.  
  
Looking over his injuries, Elora had taken note of the old scars along with the new... There were two in particular on his back that stuck out to her... Ever so carefully, her fingers traced the scars, her mind racing.  
  
A single horn on his head, and a killer claw on each foot... Elora recalled her thoughts back at the Summer Forest. She had wondered if Ripto were related to the lava lizards... But the lava lizards had wings. Small wings that they could not possibly fly with. And these scars of his...  
  
A knot formed in the pit of her stomach, and the faun bit her lip... His reluctance to make friends. His bitterness toward dragons. The scars... They were all pieces to the same puzzle, weren't they?

\----

"Thank you for releasing me," said the white-clad fairy, giving a slight curtsy to the cheetah. "My name is Freezia."  
  
"Hunter! And no sweat," Hunter answered, scratching the back of his head. "Had no idea that dragon kept a fairy locked away in his staff... How long have you been stuck there?"  
  
"I'm afraid I don't know. It honestly feels like it was only yesterday that he caught me, but it could have been years," said the fairy, Freezia... "What is this place? This doesn't look like the dragon realms."  
  
"The dragon realms!?" the cheetah's fur stood up upon hearing of the dragon realms. "Y-you mean... You came from a world full of dragons?"  
  
"They're not at all like the one you just fought!" the fairy was quick to explain. "They keep to themselves most of the time, and have very little to do with worlds beyond their own... They are friendly at heart."  
  
"So... There are good dragons out there?"  
  
"Yes. But... I'm afraid there are some exceptions."  
  
"Like the one that caught you?"  
  
The fairy nodded her head. "His name is Red... He was originally an Elder from the dragon realms, but he became obsessed with power. He dabbled in darker magics, and was eventually banished for his experiments with the dark forces."  
  
The cheetah crossed his arms, pondering over the fairy's words... Red. Originally a Dragon Elder. Got banished for playing around with things he shouldn't have been playing with... Hunter's ears perked up when he came to an idea.  
  
"What if we let the dragons know about him?"  
  
\----  
  
A warm hand... Gently trailing up and down his cheek... The sorcerer drew breath. His eyes fluttered, but he found it hard to focus... He made out the distinct colors of autumn reds and summer greens, but that was it. He made to push himself up, only to feel a great ache throughout his body. He hissed from the pain, and heard a soft shushing.  
  
"It's okay," he heard her say. Caressing his head. He laid his head back down without protest, letting her caress his cheek...  
  
"Gulp... Crush..." He breathed the names out... His mind was a blur. But he could distinctly make them out in his dreams... Blurs of blue and green... Small pieces of memories, piecing themselves together... The red dragon... The pain... The monster... Him...  
  
"They're alright... They're both here," the voice assured, soft and gentle as summer breeze. He sighed in response. The caressing continued. He didn't want it to end. He never experienced anything so gentle. His eyes fluttered open, focusing on the red-green blur before him... Clearer now. He could see her. The faun.  
  
"... What happened?"  
  
"... The red dragon took control of you," the faun started. "He transformed you into a monster, and made you fight Crush and Gulp."  
  
Made to fight Crush and Gulp... The sorcerer's blood boiled at the notion... It was a foul trick on the dragon's part. Crush and Gulp were all he had ; to be forced into fighting them was... Cruel.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"He... Was last seen flying to the Winter Tundra, according to Zoe-- Hey! Hey!"  
  
The sorcerer made to sit up again... His body ached, but he felt determined to find the dragon and kill him. But the faun kept him.  
  
"You need to rest! There's no sense in fighting an enemy when you don't have the strength."  
  
He hissed at that... Though Ripto was as stubborn as ever, he knew the faun was right. He had no strength. He felt a sudden rush to his head, and shifted back down with a soft moan... She shifted closer to him, setting her hand upon his head... What an embarrassment. To have been brought down to such a state.  
  
"... The Winter Tundra," he mused aloud, after some moments of silence. "The irony... So the dragon has flown off to the place where it all started."  
  
"... That's right," said the faun with a slight twitch to her ear. "That's where we first met."  
  
"Say hello to your new king... It feels like it was only last week."  
  
"It WAS last week."  
  
He glanced up at the faun. There was a slight smile to her face. It was... Catchy, in a way. He couldn't help but to smile back.  
  
"... I do believe we are coming to the end of our journey," said the little sorcerer.  
  
"... But how will it end?" asked the faun.  
  
"... I don't know. Only time will tell."  
  
He glanced back up at the faun... Her ears had fallen back, and her eyes were downcast...  
  
"... You are concerned," he stated... The faun was not without her share of stubbornness, but she was not so stubborn as to deny that fact.  
  
"I feel... I feel as though we've come a long way since we first met," said the faun.  
  
"It hasn't been all that long..."  
  
"I know. But..." The faun paused, drawing in a breath, and sighing. There was a slight tremble to her voice, he noted. "You're different from when we first met... Or maybe not so much different as it is there being more to you than I originally thought."  
  
"... What more could there be?"  
  
"So much more," said the faun. "But you're... You're scared of it."  
  
There was a slight twitch to his face. He looked to the faun with a slight furrow to his brows. But she was not dissuaded from his glare.  
  
"Please, don't be upset... I just... I know there's more to you than what you're letting on."  
  
The sorcerer let out a huff, and turned away from the faun. Grasping the blankets, he wrapped himself in the sheets... He was without clothes. All torn and shredded when he was transformed by the red dragon. All he had on him were bandages... She was the one to have done it, no doubt. And he reckoned she had seen the scars on his body.  
  
"... It's all connected, isn't it?" She had asked. "Your hatred of dragons... The scars..."  
  
The little sorcerer buried his face in the sheets... He hated it. Hated that she had seen them. Those scars served as an unfriendly reminder of his past, and he wanted no one knowing about them. He hated feeling so bare.  
  
He felt her reach out to him, setting her hand on his back. He made a slight jump at the contact, and she drew back. He looked to her once more, and saw an apologetic look on her face... After a moment, he sighed, turning away. She reached for him. Only this time, she was wrapping her arms around him.  
  
He blinked in confusion, looking back to the faun as she carefully scooped him up into her arms. And she held him... And he didn't fight back.  
  
"I'm here to listen," she said, cradling him in her arms. He shut his eyes, settling his head down against her chest... He reached out from the blanket, and sought her hand, holding it in his. "Whenever you need to talk... I'm here to listen."


	14. Chapter 14

"So, his name is Red."

Elora listened intently to what Hunter had to say... A fairy by the name of Freezia had been sealed within the dark gem on the dragon's staff. And with the staff destroyed, she was now free again. She had told him all about the red dragon, about where he came from, and why he was banished from the dragon realms.

"What with Red being a Dragon Elder and all," Hunter started. "I thought : Why don't we go to the dragon realms and inform the other dragons about him? From what Freezia said, the other dragons seem to be pretty chill, and would gladly lend a hand to help."

The faun was quiet for several moments, contemplating the cheetah's words... She had no doubt in her mind that the fairy spoke true, and that the dragons she spoke of meant well. But with the recent events that have transpired in Avalar, she could not deny that she was hesitant.

What's more was how Ripto would react... She doubted he'd be very happy to learn that there were more dragons on the way.

"I'm... I'm not sure that'd be such a good idea right now," said the faun.

"Well... Why not?" Asked Hunter.

"I just... Can we give it some time? Please?" "Elora, I understand, you probably don't trust dragons right now," the fairy started. "But they are good of heart. They'll help out, if we told them--" "It's not that! It's... It's Ripto," said the faun. "I don't think he'd... Appreciate it."

"Elora, it's not a matter of whether he'd appreciate it or not. The point is, this could very well be our best bet in beating the dragon."

"Please, just..." She paused. "I need to talk to him first... If you could at least give me enough time for that."

The cheetah was confused at Elora's reluctance, but agreed to let her speak to the sorcerer... Without another word, the faun turned and returned to where the sorcerer was. The fairy fluttered up to the cheetah with a curious look. "Who is this Ripto that she was talking about?" Asked Freezia.

"... Buckle up, little fairy, you're gonna be in for quite a story," said the cheetah with a stretch.

"So it all startled last week, right? The Professor was working on some new Super Portal Technology, and, well... I entered in some coordinates, and out came Ripto, Crush, and Gulp! So it's kind of MY fault this whole mess started up in the first place... Anyway, he came through, and when he realized Avalar didn't have any dragons, he went and proclaimed himself as king! It wasn't a really good thing 'cause right off the bat, we kinda knew he was a bit of a bad guy. So Elora thought we'd try and bring a dragon to Avalar to help out."

"And... This is how Red came into the picture."

"Right," said Hunter with a nod of his head. "So then we had Red to deal with, and he started planting these dark gems all throughout Avalar! We ultimately had to join up with Ripto and his beasts to fight back against Red... On the condition that, afterward, he gets to be king."

The cheetah paused to take in a breath... He supposed he understood what Elora meant when she called him motor-mouth sometimes - he did have a knack for going on at length.

"... He's a grumpy little lizard. And he has this vendetta against dragons. But for the most part, he and his beasties have been pretty helpful with clearing out the dark gems."

There was a pause. The cheetah turned, looking back to where the faun had departed.

"... And there's also Elora. She... I dunno... She seems to have taken a sort of liking to him. And it kinda seems like he's softened up to her somewhat... I guess she's scared of losing whatever trust she's established with him."

"... You think... Seeking the Dragon Elders and notifying them about Red would sever that trust, if they decide to step in?"

"... If these dragons really are gonna help us out, then yeah, I'm a hundred percent for havin' 'em come over, whether Ripto likes it or not... But I'll give her that chance in talking to him first."

\----

"... You brought that dragon here to Avalar... You wanted to find a dragon to help you in getting rid of me. That didn't work out, so you sought my help to get rid of that very same dragon once he started doing harm to the realms... And now, one of your friends is looking to bring in more dragons to help with the one that you're trying to stop."

The faun's ears dropped... The moment she brought it up to Ripto, she knew he would pose some opposition to such a plan. She looked to him as he sat on his bed, staring back at her with a cold look in his eyes.

"... I believe what Freezia says when she says that these dragons can be trusted--"

"NO DRAGON CAN BE TRUSTED." The sorcerer was quick to interrupt the faun. She could not help but to flinch at the sharpness of his voice. He shifted, wiggling himself closer to the edge of his bed and slid down, stumbling, and grasping the edges for support(to which the faun could not help but to also flinch at). He made his way over, limping with every other step he took, and seated himself on a chair by the window.

The faun opened her mouth, but she was uncertain of what to say... She had seen his scars. She had made the connection that they were tied in with his hatred of dragons. And while he had not said anything on the topic, she knew that it was true... If dragons were the cause of his hurts, then she couldn't quite blame him for his stance. Even she was reluctant over the notion of bringing more dragons to Avalar now, after everything that was done just from this one alone.

But she trusted the fairy... After a time, the faun drew in a breath and approached.

"Ripto... Please, if I would... I would advise you to think it over."

"You would advise me?" the little sorcerer started with a low hiss, looking back over at the faun. "Did we not come to the agreement that I am not king so long as that dragon is here? So technically, you are not my advisor, and therefore, are in no place to advise me!"

The faun felt her fur rise. "I would still advise my future king," she said in a stern voice. "I advise him because I have faith in him... Faith that he will swallow his pride and do what's best."

There was a slight flinch from the sorcerer. There was a certain fire in his eyes as he glared at the faun. He opened his mouth to speak, yet faltered. Fighting to come out with a retort, until finally settling with a simple : "I refuse!"

The faun sighed heavily. Staring at the little sorcerer as he sulked by the window, glaring out at the Autumn Plains... She refused to back down because of his stubbornness.

"I didn't think I could trust you either," Elora started. "I felt you were a threat to Avalar... Then I brought the dragon, and he proved himself to be an even bigger threat... Do you remember what I told you back at Summer Forest?"

"... You couldn't promise complete loyalty to me," said the little sorcerer. Glancing over his shoulder at the faun with a dark look in his eyes. And her ears dropped.

Those WERE her words. And even now, she felt true to them... What mattered the most to her in the end was Avalar's protection, and she would fight anyone to ensure the safety of the realm, whether it was him or Red.

But did she have any desire to fight Ripto?

"... The enemy of my enemy is my friend," she said. "I chose you because I thought you were our best bet in protecting Avalar."

"... Are you disappointed?" The little sorcerer started, and she had noted a new sort of bitterness to his voice. He turned away from her, looking out the window.

"No." Taking a deep breath, she walked closer to where the sorcerer sat. "I'm not disappointed in the progress we've made. Of all the talismans we've collected, the orbs we've gathered, and the dark gems we've destroyed... We couldn't have done it without you."

"... The dragon still lives," he said, his voice having taken a softer tone. Disappointed. "The three of us couldn't beat him... In our last fight, he transformed me into a monster and forced me to fight both Crush and Gulp."

"So why not--?" "I will NOT put my trust in dragons--!" "No harm will come to you!" She said, interrupting the little sorcerer. Sitting there with his arms wrapped around himself, a pained expression on his face. "I wasn't... Whatever happened. I wasn't there to protect you then. But I'm here now... I swear, no one will harm you... If you don't trust me, say it."

He was silent. Keeping his gaze away from the faun... She was at his side, waiting for some kind of response. She reached her hand out to him, to comfort him, but... Hesitated... She felt doubt that he would want the contact. Not right now. She drew back. Waiting. Her ears dropped once more as the silence persisted. He seemed intent on his decision. Until...

"... Do you mean what you say?"

Her ears twitched at the question... He truly was one who didn't trust easily... She drew in a breath.

"I do."

It was a short and simple answer, but straight to the point... It was now his turn to sigh. Gazing out at the Autumn Plains. "... The enemy of my enemy is my friend," he repeated, in a voice that was uncharacteristically soft from him... She looked to him, then, finally, reached out and set her hand on his shoulder.

"... I know it's difficult," the faun said. "But whatever happened... I'll protect you... I have faith in you."

He reached his hand up, grasping her hand...

"... If my advisor deems it necessary. Then it shall be so."


	15. Chapter 15

The faun sighed heavily to herself... Ripto truly was a stubborn little lizard. She was relieved that he had come to the agreement of allowing Freezia to return to the Dragon Realms to notify the Dragon Elders of Red's presence in Avalar. But it wasn't easy to convince him.

... Even with that said, she was surprised that he had come to the agreement as fast as he did. She was almost certain that he would have stuck with his decision of denying any kind of assistance from dragons -- and probably vow to find himself another "advisor" on top of it.

Yet here they were... Even now, he still had that look on his face as though he were internally kicking himself for allowing the fairy to return to the Dragon Realms... With a slight frown on her face, she reached over, setting her hand upon the little sorcerer's head to reassure him.

"That's odd - It seems the Winter Tundra is free of dark gems," the Professor mused to himself, surveying the snowy environment.

"That's because Red's lackey that was goin' around planting the things got crushed," said the cheetah to the little mole. There was a rumbling from behind. Crush straightened up, and had what looked to be a prideful smile on his face.

Up ahead before the gate to the castle courtyard stood Moneybags... They traveled down to meet with the bear, and found a large rock that was conveniently placed before the doors, blocking their way... That boulder was probably placed there by Moneybags himself... Suffice to say, no one was happy to see the money-grubbing bear.

"Well, well! It would seem that it all comes down to this... There's only one more thing I can do for you, and it doesn't come cheap--"

The bear didn't even have the chance to finish what he said. With a rumbling growl, Gulp reared up, and made a leap, landing flat on his stomach and squashing the bear beneath his weight.

As for the boulder? A minor nuisance, but nothing that would grievously hinder their progress... One simple swing of Crush's club, and the issue was resolved.

\----

It felt funny returning to the Winter Tundra again. The little sorcerer shivered, wrapping his arms around himself... He was given a new set of clothes for the time being, since his last set had gotten ruined from the transformation. But they simply were not the same... He was without his trusty cape and matching shoes, and he felt absolutely naked without them.

The sorcerer leaned his head back, staring up at the Super Portal from where he first came through... Journey ends where the journey starts. Typical story cliche.

"According to Zoe, the dragon was last seen flying to Winter Tundra," said Hunter, standing up on the tip of his toes and peering upward at the sky. "But I don't see any sign of him... Not yet at least."

So the Winter Tundra seemed absent of Red's presence... That was a good sign, at least. But it left Ripto with a feeling of unrest. If the dragon wasn't here, then where was he? How far away was he? Was he truly heading to the Winter Tundra, and if so, how long would it take before he finally arrived?

"Hm... I DO have an idea of sorts," the Professor mused aloud. All attention was turned to the little mole as he paced back and forth. "But I seem to have lost my trusty pencil, and I am perfectly useless without it." "Where did you last remember having it?" Asked Elora.

"I DO believe the last place I had it was in Mystic Marsh...!"

\----  
  


It seemed no matter what, there was always something to do in the world of Avalar. Whether it be keeping baby turtles from leaping into cauldrons to be cooked into soup, saving villages from rampaging lava lizards or draklets, saving baby seahorses locked in towers, rescuing damsels who, in truth, weren't at all in distress... And there were also the times where they helped two little kids infiltrate a palace far off in the scorching deserts, grab some flags from a magical bomb-tossing genie, take back a bunch of party hats that were stolen by lava monsters, freeing fauns from their houses after they dropped their keys somewhere, playing games of hockey, and grabbing crystal popcorn... Trouble with the Trolley.

And now, here they were in the world of Mystic March, assisting the Professor in locating his trusty pencil... How the heck the Professor even came to lose the pencil in the first place, Ripto had no idea. And of course, there were other issues plaguing the world as well. Namely kangaroo thieves and magic fountains shutting off, and the local wildlife running rampant.

The elephants seemed especially drawn to him, the little sorcerer had noted... At one point, Ripto had found himself with a trunk wrapped around his waist, and the next thing he knew he was being taken away! Luckily Elora and Hunter were there to stop the beast...

Finding the Professor's pencil was quite the chore in and of itself... Wherever the mole may have lost it, it apparently required trading in an egg for a seed, the seed for a rubber duck, the duck for some radish, radish for a coin...

It just seemed to keep going, with no end in sight... With the coin in hand, they walked to the fountain and tossed the coin in... And out came the Professor's trusty pencil at long last!

"... Wait, how did he lose it in the fountain?" The little sorcerer asked, scratching his head in confusion.

\----

Upon returning the pencil to the Professor, the old mole acted like a little kid at Christmas... He thanked the little sorcerer about ten-fifty times -- Ripto had lost count. And when they returned to the Winter Tundra, the Professor had gone about his notes, dotting things down on his little notepad... With an arch of his brow, Ripto stood on the tip of his toes, spying on what the little mole was writing down. He couldn't get a clear look, but he could have sworn he'd seen a whole wall of "blah, blah, blah" written down on the Professor's notes...

Some minutes had passed, when finally, the professor exclaimed with a sudden "A-HAH!"

"Ripto, I have just the idea!" the little mole started, walking over to the sorcerer with his notebook. Flipping through the pages, he held up a page where he had doodled a picture of the sorcerer himself(it looked like a child had drawn it, honestly), holding up a scepter.

"Ripto, we are going to make you a new scepter!"

"A new scepter?" the sorcerer started, after a long moment of silence... Really? The mole needed a pencil to come up with that idea? Not that Ripto was going to nitpick. He was curious as to what the mole had in mind. "Yes, I do have need of a new scepter... I... Lost my first one back at the dungeons... We'll need a good base for it -- and a sufficient crystal." "I've got the crystal," said the Professor with a nod. "All we really need is a base, which, luckily enough, isn't all that complicated. The wizards of Cloud Temple are known to sell them at their gift shop."

"So what are we waiting for?" Ripto asked with a hint of excitement. A new scepter! Finally! He can be in a position of power again! "Let's head there right away!"


	16. Chapter 16

The little sorcerer was definitely excited over the whole notion of obtaining a scepter... This whole time, he had been relying on Crush and Gulp during their travels throughout Avalar. It was going to be highly refreshing to have a scepter in hand once more!

"... Now that we have our base," the Professor started. "We can start working on Ripto's new scepter."

The little sorcerer's face lit up, much like how the Professor's did after retrieving his pencil not long ago. Ripto gave a fist-pump, eager and ready to start construction on the new scepter.

... He couldn't help but notice a certain melancholy surrounding both Elora and the Professor once they started to get to work. They were talking to themselves, voices hushed so he couldn't hear, but... He noticed certain words, like... Power Crystal... And Super Portal.

The little sorcerer was curious... What were they talking about?

\----

The little sorcerer was not known for his patience... Pacing back and forth in the castle hallway. He was eager to receive his new scepter, but his mind was racing. His thoughts were on the red dragon. Next, they were on the mole and the faun. Those whisperings between them... What were they talking about?

He was alerted to the sound of distant clip-clops of hooves on the floor... He followed the sound, and found the faun herself, with a winter cape draped around her shoulders, heading out from the castle... Where was she going?

... Well, Ripto was not one to remain in the dark. He followed her with the intention of inquiring what they were talking about before... Out of the castle, he tip-toed behind, until she came to a sit by the ledge of the mountain, gazing off into the vast, frozen landscapes beyond.

"... Isn't it a little cold to be wandering out into the night in Winter Tundra?" The sorcerer called out. He noticed her ears twitch, and she turned to look at him.

"I-it's... Not all that bad." "... Meh. I suppose not. You are the one covered in the fur and all." He approached the faun. She was sitting by a ledge overlooking the rest of the frozen landscapes of the Winter Tundra...

"... Boy, that's odd," the little sorcerer started after a moment. "I'm the one joining you now? Normally it's the other way around."

"... You're right." He looked over, and -- to his surprise -- he noted a slight smile on her face as she spoke. She held out her arm, as if inviting him to sit closer.

... It was very cold. And he hadn't even thought about bringing a cloak for himself to keep warm... He inched himself closer to the faun, and found she had swept him up into her arms, bundling him up in her cloak... She was so warm - and soft! He purred, settling his head against her chest.

"... You know, you're surprisingly affectionate," said the faun, setting a hand on his head and petting.

"... Affectionate? Me? Psh... I just hadn't thought of getting myself something to wear out in the cold. My mistake."

Still, she continued her pettings. And still, he continued to purr... Perhaps she was right... Ripto was a dinosaur. As were Crush and Gulp. He was the brains of the trio while the other two served as the brawn. They wear fearsome beasts ; but at the same time, they were also very much like big, humongous dogs, in a sense. Ever faithful. Eager to please... And highly susceptible to the touch of an affectionate hand.

And, much like Crush and Gulp, Ripto wasn't immune to the powers of the physical touch... But he was not quite so eager to seek it out as Crush and Gulp were... His experiences were harsher in nature... In his youth, he had been exposed to the occasional push and shove, and had earned his share of bruises and scrapes, though those were mild in comparison to the others... The ones that had left a lasting mark on him, both in body and mind. Those marks that had never fully healed.

The little sorcerer sighed in the faun's arms... In all his years, he had never once met a hand that did not leave him with a biting sting...

After a moment, the little sorcerer shook his head. "Elora," he started, shifting slightly to look up at the faun. "What were you talking about before?"

"Before?" "I could hear you speaking to the Professor, but I couldn't quite make out what it was you were saying... Something about the Power Crystal, or something."

"... We were going to use it for the Super Portal," said the faun... The little sorcerer gave a slight tilt of his head.

"Oh, well... I'm sure there's other Power Crystals laying around. Right?"

There was silence... Her eyes were downcast, and her ears had fallen back. He tilted his head once more, waiting for her to say more on the topic.

After a moment, she stood up with the little sorcerer, taking him... Somewhere else... Where was she taking him? And why was she being so quiet on the topic all of a sudden?

"Well, that's not fair!" said the sorcerer. "Here you've been, sitting down at my side and telling me how you'd be there to talk. But now I initiate the conversation, and you fall sile--?"

The little sorcerer was cut off when she placed a gentle kiss to his forehead... His eyes lit up, and he felt a fluttering -- that same flutter in his chest back when she kissed that spot where a coconut had been thrown at him.

"... Now that's especially not fair."

The faun chuckled softly... After a time, she finally set him down. She'd... Taken him in to a small cave. With a spring... It was surprisingly warm... What were they doing here? Why did she bring him to this conveniently secluded little cave?

"Isn't this a bit--" he made a start, turning back to the faun, only to see that she had set aside her winter cloak, and her leafy tunic, and was stepping down into the springs... The cave was warm, but he wasn't so sure now if the warmth he was feeling was from the springs or from the blush that was glowing on his face. "... Romantic?"

There was a pause from the faun. It was hard to tell given her red fur, but it seemed as though she had a slight blush herself... She turned to the sorcerer, wandering back to him.

"Can you swim?"

"Um..."

The little sorcerer glanced around himself. As if he were hoping he could find some secret answer written somewhere on a nearby stone, or a small patch of snow that he could use in response. But nothing seemed to pop out at him.

"... I-I... What's with all this all of a sudden?"

"... I just thought we could try and melt some ice."

Melt some ice... He remembered back at Summer Forest, after clearing the underwater world of Aquaria Towers. She had approached him. Said she wanted to melt some ice... That was the first time that she approached him.

She held out her hand to him, and he regarded it for a moment... They had their differences, but... He supposed... He could try.

After a moment, he had set aside his own clothes, and had taken her hand. He stepped down into the water... It was warm! A surprise, given the snowy environment.

"How is it so warm here?" Asked the little sorcerer. There was a hitch to his breath when he stepped down, and felt himself drop, the water rushing up to his hips. But the faun held on to him, keeping him afloat.

"... The castle is built upon a volcano," said the faun, taking him into her arms as she returned to the water. "That's why certain places around the castle are so warm... There are Power Crystals spread throughout which help keep the volcano in a state of calm... If it weren't for that, there probably wouldn't even be a castle."

He could feel the faun sinking deeper. The water was up to their shoulders now. He clung to the faun, and she held him close.

"It's alright. You can swim."

She took the little sorcerer and held him out in the water. He squirmed, discomforted at the distance. But she brought him back to her, holding him, running her hand down his back in reassurance. "It's okay. I've got you," she said to him. And after a moment, she tried again.

She was holding him up by his belly, helping him along through the water. The little sorcerer doggy-paddled along. Slowly, and ever so carefully she lowered her hand from him, and smiled as the little sorcerer swam about on his own. And he swam back to her, and she scooped him up into her arms.

"See now? It's not so bad! Again now..." Again, and again, she helped the little sorcerer through the water. Paddling and kicking along... Before long, he was truly swimming along by himself now, without assistance. And she smiled... He swam back to her, and she wrapped him up in her arms, nuzzling her nose between his brows. Purring, and trilling. He nuzzled against the faun, basking in the warmth from the springs... And her arms.

... Why did she bring him here? For swimming lessons? This wasn't the time for swimming lessons... There was a dragon to be fought... He could appear at any time... Why did she bring him here?

Her arms grew tight around him. Holding him closer. Was she... Scared? He looked up to her, and shifted, gently nuzzling his nose against her cheek.

"Are you scared?" He asked to her, purring into her ear reassuringly. "No harm will come to you." He said to her. "On my life, I swear no harm will come to you."

He purred softly, settling down into the faun's embrace.

... She said that there was another homeworld of Avalar. The Spring Valley, he seemed to recall... It had disappeared, as if a great nothingness had swept the world away... And that's why they were working on the Super Portal. In the hopes of finding it again.

...

...

...

"... The power crystal," he said softly to her. "It was the last one you had... Wasn't it?"


	17. Chapter 17

The time had come at last... Construction on his new scepter had been finished, and it was time to collect it. Ripto held the scepter in hand, staring up and down. It looked exactly like his old one, and yet...

Yet...

They had used the last of the Power Crystals to give him his scepter. Which was fine and all, but... According to Elora, the Professor had apparently intended to use the Power Crystal to help with his Super Portal. And they were hoping to use the Super Portal to find the missing homeworld of Avalar. But given the present situation, they had to use the last Power Crystal to construct a new scepter instead.

... This was not as satisfying as he was hoping it would have been.

\----

"Hey!" A voice called out. Ripto recognized the voice as belonging to Hunter. The cheetah was bent over, gasping for breath from the run back from the castle. "Zoe, and Freezie! They made it to the portal okay!" said the cheetah. Straightening back up. "But on the way back, I saw Red heading this way." "How convenient," the sorcerer mused aloud, grasping his scepter... He held it in hand, staring down at his reflection in the Power Crystal... It was such a cliche! They near the end of their journey, the lady takes him off to some secluded little cave to... Share a moment with him... Before the arrival of the villain.

"... Tell me, feline : How long would you say it will take before big bad Red reaches the castle here?"

"Um... About... An hour, figure?"

"An hour... Right. Here's the plan : I imagine it's going to take a bit of time before the... DRAGONS make their arrival, right? But we want to keep the red dragon in one place until they get here. I'm going to meet him at the Arena. You, Elora and Book-Boy are going to wait for the dragons to arrive. And Crush and Gulp are going to wait with you--"

"Wait-- you mean you're intending on fighting Red by yourself?" The faun started, her ears perking up in alarm at the sorcerer's proposal... Looking up at the faun, the little sorcerer gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"I'll keep him busy... If something happens, you'll have Crush and Gulp to look after--"

"Hold up! We're going to be in this together!" said the faun, shaking her head and stomping a hoof on the ground(much to the sorcerer's surprise).

"I can't risk the dragon taking us all out in one fell swoop," the sorcerer started, trying to explain what he had in mind : face the dragon alone, and serve as distraction until the cavalry arrived. "Even without his staff, you should never underestimate a dragon... However, with my new scepter, I should be able to properly defend myself!" The little sorcerer held up said aforementioned scepter, and put on a wide, toothy smile as if to emphasize his words.

"That's kinda like saying 'don't underestimate your foes,' then immediately following up with 'I should be able to kick their butt'."

Hearing the cheetah's whispers, the sorcerer shot the cheetah with a dirty glare, arms crossed over his chest and foot tapping on the ground.

"... As I was saying : I'll keep the red dragon distracted while you wait for the OTHER dragons. With any luck, the Elder Dragons will have arrived on time, and will take the red dragon completely by surprise... Simple, and easy to remember. Right?"

The sorcerer looked between Hunter, Elora, and the Professor. No comments were given, nor was there any kind of argument with his little plan. So he took their silence as agreement. Ripto would keep the dragon busy, while everyone else awaited the arrival of the Elder Dragons. Once they arrived, they'd be directed to where the Red Dragon was.

Hunter and the Professor were already making their way back, while Crush, Gulp and Elora lingered... The two beasts were at Ripto's side, showering the little sorcerer with nuzzles and licks.

"You two will be fine," he assured the beasts, giving each one a pet on their nose. "You know me : I'm not gonna let myself get killed by some stupid dragon so easily... Now go on! Keep a watch out for the GOOD dragons! And make sure the cheetah doesn't do anything stupid."

He gave them a gentle push to urge them away, but... They pushed back. Growling and grumbling as if in protest. It took several minutes, but the sorcerer was finally able to get them to move on...

Once the beasts had gone, the sorcerer let out a long, heavy sigh... Now all that remained was Elora.

"I don't think they like the idea," said the faun.

"No... They're not used to being away from me," said the sorcerer with another sigh. "They'll be fine. They're not the sharpest tool in the shed, but... They're good boys."

"... I'm not exactly partial toward this idea either," the faun added with a slight furrow to her brow. Stepping closer, she came to a stop beside the little sorcerer, kneeling down to be level with him.

"... It's for the best."

"Is it?" Asked the faun, giving the little sorcerer an arch of her brow. "Ripto, I don't like the thought of you just going off and fighting Red by yourself... How do I know this isn't just you being stupid and stubborn?"

"... Elora," the sorcerer started, turning to the faun at his side. "Look... The last two fights we had with him... Me, Crush, and Gulp. All beaten by him... Even without his staff, a dragon is still a dangerous foe to trifle with. And I don't want to risk losing... Losing..."

"... Losing the things that mean the most to you."

The sorcerer had fallen silent when the faun finished his sentence for him. 'Losing the things that meant the most to you.' It wasn't exactly what he was going to finish with, but... He had to admit that the faun wasn't all that far from the truth.

She pulled the little sorcerer into her arms, giving him a kiss on his nose. "Stop that," hissed the sorcerer. "It's flustering."

He was met with more kisses, and he grumbled at the faun, rubbing his nose where she had kissed him once he was free of her... After a moment, he looked to the faun with a slight frown to his face.

"If... If something DOES happen to me," he started in a soft voice. "Promise you'll look after them for me?"

"Just as long as you don't let anything happen to yourself," said the faun. And he nodded, turning to make his way to the arena to await the arrival of the red dragon.

"Ripto?"

He stopped, turning back to the faun... She approached, kneeling down before him once more. And, reaching out, she pulled him close. And before he could ask her what she was doing, his lips had met with hers.

His eyes went wide with shock. His body tensed at the contact ; but not a moment later, he found himself relaxing... A sigh left him, and he reached around, wrapping his arms around the faun.


	18. Chapter 18

The little sorcerer let out a soft, dreamy sigh, staring upward at the night sky as he sat in the center of the arena, cross-legged, his scepter laying on his lap... That kiss had left him with a warmth on his cheeks that persisted even now.

He'd never been kissed before... Of course she had given him those occasional forehead pecks, but... Nothing quite like that last one... Her arms wrapped around him. Her lips gently pressed against his... He felt as though he had a flutter of butterflies in his belly.

... So that was what it was like... Snow White... Sleeping Beauty... All those silly little stories that ended with a kiss. He had heard of them, and he had always rolled his eyes at those stupid cliches... Who cares?

Now though... After having experienced it for himself... He supposed it wasn't all that bad... A token of affection. More powerful than all the talismans of Avalar. More magical than the orbs. More precious than all the gems that have been hoarded by that fat bear, Moneybags.

It was such a simple gesture. Yet he held it close to him as though it were the greatest treasure he ever had.

"What ARE you doing?"

The little sorcerer had near jumped out of his skin when a voice called out from behind him. Grasping his scepter, he whirled around and saw the red dragon standing there, one hand on his hip, and a brow arched quizzically.

"Y-you!" The little sorcerer growled, tightening his hold on his scepter. "Took your sweet time! When did you get here?" "Not that long ago, actually," the dragon answered nonchalantly, checking his claws over. "I've been watching you for the last five minutes... Pondering what might have had you so distracted that you were completely unaware of my presence."

The sorcerer growled, feeling his cheeks grow darker in embarrassment... There was no way that the dragon had been standing there for five minutes!

"I see you've acquired a new toy for yourself," the dragon mused aloud, smirking as he set his eyes on the scepter in Ripto's hand. "I bet you're dying to test out that new scepter of yours, hm? And what better time than now then?" The dragon opened his arms out and spread his wings. "I'll stand still ; I promise!"

The sorcerer hummed to himself, eyes fixed on the red dragon. "I like that idea," he mused aloud with a toothy grin. "Dragon!" He pointed a clawed finger at the red dragon before him, and readied his scepter. "You've just sealed your fate!"

The Power Crystal glowed as he held up his scepter. He cast a spell, throwing an enormous fireball at the dragon. But with a flap of his wings, the dragon leaped upward... Up high into the air. And before he could react, the dragon descended, landing on the arena platform mere inches from where the sorcerer stood. The impact of the dragon's landing had shaken the platform, knocking the little sorcerer off his feet and onto his back... The beast reared back, claws at the ready, and made a slash at the little sorcerer.

He scrambled up onto his feet, narrowly avoiding the red dragon's sharp talons. Two swipes were made, followed by a quick snap of his jaws. But Ripto was quick on his feet. He turned, and waved his scepter, sending another bolt of fire at the beast. His eyes lit up as the flames hit their mark, and he pumped his fist in the air... But this moment of pride was fleeting, as the dragon turned his head to him, and gave pursuit once more.

The dragon was fast. Strong. And more dangerously, smart. Swinging his arms and swiping at the little sorcerer with his claws. He ducked and dodged, flinging a ball of flame at the dragon whenever possible. With a smoking snarl, the dragon spun around and swung his tail at the sorcerer. The dragon's tail struck him as though a humongous tree was being swung at him. He flew forward, rolling a few distances away. When he recovered, he realized, to his horror, that his scepter had slipped from his hand.

He looked on -- luckily it wasn't so far away. He scrambled madly to reach his scepter. The dragon came down upon him. Grasping his scepter, he turned, and sent sent a ball of fire into the dragon's face, causing him to fall back and recoil.

Scrambling, pushing himself up onto his feet, Ripto made a mad dash to put some distance between himself and the dragon...

With a shake of his head, the dragon locked eyes on Ripto and growled. The sorcerer braced himself, fingers tightening on the hilt of his scepter...

"I must admit, you fight well for someone of your diminutive stature," the dragon started. Holding up his hand, there was a white glow in the dragon's hand, and a shard of ice appeared. "You have a lot of fire in you, for being a dinosaur... I must admit, I am quite curious to know how you would have come to possess such power. But no matter... You are no match against my own!"

With a spread of his wings, the dragon took flight, and sent the bolt of ice down onto the arena, freezing it... The sorcerer's feet slipped and slid. Worse yet, given the boiling lava surrounding the arena, it meant that the arena was melting.

He had to think quick... Raising his scepter, he made a leap upward, and slammed his scepter onto the icy arena. With a great glow, a mechanical bird emerged, and took flight with him on it's back... Looking downward, he caught sight of the arena melting away.

Grasping the metallic wheel on the bird's back, he turned his attention to the dragon, and tightened his hold on his scepter. With a screech, he urged the bird to give chase... Round and round they circled the arena -- now nothing more than a pit filled with lava. Shards of ice and balls of fire whizzed past his head as he sent bolts of magic at the dragon, homing in on the beast, but with a spin and a swirl, he dodged each attack. The sorcerer cursed when the bird shook violently as a shard of ice struck and caught the bird's wing.

Again. And again. The dragon's ice shards hit their mark. He could feel the bird grow more and more unsteady with each shard of ice. Steering this way and that to try and avoid the attacks. He looked around, but had lost sight of the dragon... Then all of a sudden, something came up from below, smashing itself into the bird's underside. The next thing Ripto knew, he was flying, twirling high above the arena as the pterodactyl crashed and melted into the lava below. Ripto was beginning to make his descent as well, until he was stopped by a clawed hand wrapped around his throat.

The dragon held him high above the lava pit, his wings beating at his sides keeping him skyborn... His eyes narrowed as he looked upon the reptilian sorcerer in his hand, squirming, clutching at his hand.

"Such a stubborn little thing," the red dragon mused aloud, his hold strong and unfaltering. "You know, things would have been so much easier if you'd have just thrown your allegiance with me. But instead, you opted to side with the little faun who had brought me to Avalar... That same little faun that wanted you dead."

"... You know what I don't understand?" the little sorcerer started through clenched teeth. "It's bad guys like you... I came to Avalar by accident... Wanted to make myself king... Then you came along and wanted to take over the place as well... But you... You had those dark gems planted throughout the place... Draining the life from the worlds... What good is ruling a place if the world around you is dead?"

The dragon narrowed his eyes. His hold tightened around the little sorcerer's neck, blocking off his windpipe... He squirmed and struggled, clawing, clutching, and kicking... The seconds passed, and his vision grew blurred... The longer he fought, the weaker he got.

The dragon watched as the sorcerer's efforts grew weaker and weaker. And when at last he ceased, he lessened his hold, letting Ripto slip from his hand, down to the lava pit below.

\----

Elora didn't think she'd ever meet someone as stubborn as Ripto, and yet there he was... He was too proud to really say what had been on his mind, but she understood. Red was a dangerous enemy, and he didn't want to risk seeing someone hurt by him -- or worse, killed...

Wait for the dragons, he had said... Yet try as she could, she felt she couldn't let him go off by himself. So she instructed Hunter and the Professor to wait for the Elder Dragons, and went off to the Arena with her pterodactyl. She had urged the prehistoric beast to fly as quickly as possible, and swooped in on the falling sorcerer, catching him in her arms and taking flight.

She could hear the dragon's exclamation. But she dared not turn. She had Ripto, and... That was all that mattered.

The pterodactyl screeched as it flew from the pursuing dragon, dropping as ice shards zipped past it's head, leaning this way and that to avoid getting struck. And she could hear the dragon curse to himself, pushing himself on and spitting fire at the pterodactyl... The next thing she knew, the dragon had sped upward, coming to a stop in front of them, and swinging his tail.

The pterodactyl went spiraling downward, crashing down into the courtyard in front of the castle... Elora had gone flying when the pterodactyl made it's crash-landing. As did Ripto. Pushing herself up, the faun shook her head, and crawled to the little sorcerer's side... She could feel the red dragon draw near, his frame towering over her, engulfed by his shadow...

"Curious," the red dragon mused aloud, looming over the faun and the unconscious sorcerer. "You seem to have grown... FAUN of him." Red gave a chuckle at his own joke. Elora looked up at the red dragon with a deep furrow to her brows... Looking down at the sorcerer, she inched herself over, taking him up into her lap.

"You know, it was a pretty difficult decision to make after I knew you weren't going to help... But I went with the lesser of two evils... The strange thing is, I'm actually kind of glad that I got you... I hated Ripto. But after tagging along with him... You're right. Maybe I HAVE grown fond of him... There's a lot more to him than I had originally thought. And I'm glad that I had that chance to see it... He's a stubborn little lizard. But... Once he opens up a little... I think there IS some good deep down in that little heart of his--"

"Oh, PLEASE!" the dragon interrupted with a role of his eyes. "Spare me the cliche speech! You two have been a thorn in my side, but that ends now."

The faun brought the little sorcerer closer, cradling him in her arms... The dragon puffed up his chest. She could see the smoke building up from his nostrils, and a light could be seen within his mouth... And then... When he blew, all that came out was a cloud of smoke.

The dragon choked, and coughed. And when he looked down on himself, there was a collar of light wrapped around his neck... And up above in the sky were the Dragon Elders, arrived at last.


	19. Chapter 19

The dragons could not have chosen a better time to arrive. Three of them had circled the red dragon, casting a spell upon him that prevented him from breathing fire... What's more was that the binding spell also served as a leash of sorts ; so try as he could, he was unable to fly away from the others. He spat curses at the Elder Dragons, and curses at Elora, and the little sorcerer. But Elora paid no heed.

She looked down at the little sorcerer in her arms, silent and unmoving... She could not see his breath in the cold night air.

"Ripto?" She tried calling out to him, softly, gently shaking him in her arms in the hopes of seeing some response... Again she called to him, her voice growing more urgent... It was then that she was approached by one of the Dragon Elders, this one with purple scales, and crystalline wings. "H-he's not breathing...!"

It was all she could say. And she couldn't mask the distress in her voice... The dragon regarded the little sorcerer, and held out his hand. And without question, she handed the little sorcerer over, carefully situating him in the dragon's hand. He was so small in the dragon's palm...

The Dragon Elder was gentle, looking the little sorcerer over. Carefully, he ran a clawed finger over the sorcerer's cheek, and Elora watched as he glowed with a soft, warm light... And just like that, the dragon had given him back. Elora reached out, taking the sorcerer into her arms. Small little clouds puffed from the sorcerer's nostrils, and he stirred in her arms. Shivering. His eyes cracked open, and he looked up at the faun, before curling up.

"S-so cold..."

"Shh, shh... It's okay." She held the little sorcerer close to her. Turning, she was just about to make her way back up to the castle, but paused. She looked back over at the blue dragon, and nodded her head to him.

"Thank you... Thank you so much."

\----

"... You're so stupid... Stupid AND stubborn."

She sat beside the little sorcerer, rubbing his cheek just as she had back at the Autumn Plains... Crush and Gulp both sat outside the room, their heads poking in through the door, keeping a watchful eye over the little sorcerer. Elora regretted not being able to bring the two beasts inside.

"Ripto... Why did you insist on fighting him alone? Why wouldn't you have taken Crush and Gulp with you. With the power crystal, the three of you could have beaten him easily... You could have died... You ALMOST died."

The faun sighed... Seeing the red dragon dropping him from the sky like that... Holding him in her arms, seemingly lifeless... The memories filled her with a certain pain in hear heart... She gently stroked one of his brows with her thumb. Watching as his face twitched slightly at her touch... With a soft breath, he opened his eyes, looking up at the faun.

"... I'm sorry."

She quietly shook her head... Leaning forward, she pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"... The good news is that Red is defeated... The Elder Dragons came at just the right time, and managed to subdue him... Thanks to you... Your plan worked... I just... I wish you hadn't gone in alone."

After a moment, the faun laid herself down beside the sorcerer, shutting her eyes.

'You seem to have grown fond of him...' And she had. She wasn't even ashamed to admit it... Avalar had been saved. But the biggest relief to her was that Ripto was still alive.

"... Elora?" "Hm?" The faun opened her eyes, looking to the little sorcerer.

"... Why did you kiss me?" asked the sorcerer. "I've heard of the tales... Where the hero goes off to face the villain. Is given a kiss before the fateful fight... But why me? I'm no hero."

"... You saved Avalar."

"Maybe so, but... Calling me a hero? It seems to be a bit of a stretch..." "... Remember what I told you back at Autumn Plains?" the faun started. "You're different from when we first met... There's more to you than what you're letting on... I believe you DO have a good heart. It's just that you're hurting. And you've closed yourself off because of that... I don't believe I have the ability to heal you of your hurts. But I can help ease the pain of them at least... As long as you trust me."

There was a sigh... The little sorcerer reached for her hand, holding it in a tight yet careful grip... He remembered being caught in the dragon's grip, held several stories above a pit of lava, choked until he had fallen unconscious... Then the next thing he knew, he woke up in her arms... He wasn't sure how she'd done it, but she had saved him... She cared enough to save him.

"... I trust you... And... Next time, I'll be sure to keep Crush and Gulp with me."

\----

"Thank you again for your help," said the faun to the large purple dragon with the crystalline wings. "I'd... Also like to apologize for running off on you before."

"Young faun, you had a friend in need," said the dragon with a nod of his head. "Your reasons were justifiable. You needn't ask for forgiveness... The fairy, Zoe, has filled us in on the goings-on in Avalar. Of Red's arrival, and your goal of stopping him... I do believe it was by accident that he came here -- an accident of your own doing?"

"Y-yes," the faun started. "It all began last week... We were working on a new Super Portal, and..."

"... And that's when I came in."

The little faun flinched slightly at the sound of Ripto's voice... She turned to the sorcerer, with Crush and Gulp at his side once more, and a large fur cape draped over his shoulders -- far too big for his tiny body, but more than enough to keep him warm in the Winter Tundra.

Her ears dropped slightly as the little sorcerer strode forward, keeping a tight hold on his cape to keep it from falling off. Crush and Gulp accompanied him. He came to a stop before the purple dragon, his eyes narrowed and brows furrowed, glaring daggers.

"I'm assuming that the fairy filled you in on the full story?"

"Bits and pieces," said the old dragon. "But not the entire story."

There was a pause... Ripto turned to look at the faun. She regarded the little sorcerer for a moment, then sighed.

"First off... We had brought Ripto to Avalar by accident... When he realized that Avalar was free of dragons, he proclaimed himself as king... So we wanted to bring a Dragon to Avalar to help us, and... We got Red instead."

"... And then Red went about corrupting the realm with his Dark Gems," the old dragon finished. "So you chose to join forces with Ripto..."

The faun nodded her head. "As rowdy and unruly as he was when he first came, he wasn't polluting the realm with dark magic... We came to an agreement. Once Red was dealt with, he could be king... And I would serve as his advisor. It's thanks to him that Avalar is safe again. So for that, I'm in his debt."

"And if I may, it would seem that he, too, owes you a dept of gratitude," said the dragon. "If not for you, he might not have survived."

"Rest assured, I intend to repay the faun," said the sorcerer.

The dragon looked back down to the faun.

"... Stubborn as he is, I feel he's mellowed out some since we first met..." "... You believe he will make a good king?"

"With the right hand to guide him... I believe in him."

"... So be it."

With a wave of his hand, the dragon conjured a small mirror with a leafy base, and held it to the faun. With a twitch of her ears, she picked up the mirror, holding it in her hand.

"Take this mirror, as a sign of friendship between the Dragon Realms and Avalar," said the dragon... And turning to the little sorcerer, he approached. "Little lord--" "Don't call me little..." "My apologies, my lord... Should the realm of Avalar need our aid, you need only call--" "Yeah, sure, whatever, thanks for the help, now go away." With another scrunch of his nose, the little sorcerer waved his hand dismissively at the dragon, and turned to walk away... Elora was offering an apologetic smile at the dragon, but he didn't seem at all bothered.

"As you will," said the dragon. "I cannot bring back to you the wings you've lost all those years ago... But should you find yourself wanting, you need only seek out Zander of the Magic Crafters world."

The sorcerer froze in his tracks. He spun around to face the dragon, but did not have that chance to speak in response, as the dragon Zander had already taken flight, with his wings of crystal.


	20. Chapter 20

"Are you sure you want to go?" Asked the faun, glancing between Hunter and Zoe, a slight drop to her ears.

"It's not like I'm gonna move in with 'em... But I figured, since the dragons said that we'd be welcome to come and visit whenever we'd like, I figured I'd go over and scope out the place."

Hunter always was one for exploring new places... Now that the Dragon Realms had been opened, the cheetah saw new opportunities for adventure, and meeting new friends... She supposed it probably would do some good for someone to venture to the Dragon Realms and make new acquaintances. Walking over, she gave the feline a gentle pat on his shoulder.

"... You gonna be alright? With him?"

"... He's been behaving himself for the past three days. I believe he has settled down somewhat," said the faun, offering the cheetah a reassuring smile.

With a hug and a wave, Elora bade her friends safe travels, and watched as Hunter and Zoe departed to the Dragon Realms... Part of her had wished that she could go with them. But her place was in Avalar, with the Professor, and now Crush, Gulp, and Ripto.

A soft sigh had left her as she walked past the Super Portal, regarding it for a moment with a heavy heart before moving on... She looked up and saw the little sorcerer, sitting at the top of the stairs, staring off into the night sky of Winter Tundra. Once she had reached the top, she sat down beside the little sorcerer.

"I thought you didn't like the cold?"

"I don't. But... I guess you kinda get used to it after a while." He drew in a deep breath and sighed. "Stupid dragons... Think they know everything."

"... You're still bothered by that?" Elora frowned... The little sorcerer had been in a bit of a mood since the dragons departure. Those last parting words of Zander, the purple dragon with the crystal wings... Crystal wings... She had not thought anything of those crystal wings at first. Her knowledge of dragons was limited, but she knew well enough that they were magical creatures. Why WOULDN'T a dragon have crystal wings? But the more she thought of it, the more she wondered if those wings truly did come natural for the dragon. What's more was that the dragon spoke to Ripto as if with a hint of understanding.

"... Warm me as you have been. I am tired," said the little sorcerer after a moment. She regarded Ripto at her side, then reached over, setting her hand upon his head. His face seemed to relax, and his eyes fluttered shut, and a soft purr could be heard... It brought a smile to her face.

"... He knew... I don't know how he did... But he knew... It boils my blood that he would."

"... I don't believe he meant any harm--"

"I know..." The sorcerer sighed. "It still hurts... Even now... I hate being reminded of it."

The faun frowned once more. She moved her hand down to rest on the center of his back, slowly moving her hand up and down...

"... You said you would protect me," he started again after a moment, opening his eyes to look at the faun. "And you have upheld your promise."

He shifted, straightening himself up. He had his scepter at his side, Elora noticed. He had reached for it, and -- to her surprise -- had offered it to her.

"This belongs to you."

"What?" Elora blinked in confusion. "But... I don't understand."

"You need the Power Crystal, don't you? To help out with that Super Portal down there," Ripto stated, setting his scepter down in the faun's lap. "The Super Portal functions well enough with orbs alone," he added. "But what if it's not enough? The Power Crystal should help give you the extra boost that you need... If worst comes to worse, then... Perhaps the dragons can help."

"Ripto..." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Ripto was actually returning the Power Crystal to her?

"How... How can I ever repay you?" Said the faun, holding the scepter up and staring at the Power Crystal fixed upon it.

"And... One last thing," he added. "That whole thing of being king of Avalar? I've been thinking about that for a bit now, and I've come to my conclusion... You can forget about it."

"Ripto--!" She made to speak, but the sorcerer held up his hand to her.

"Look... Each individual world is governed by it's own ruler already, right? Sunny Beach, Aquaria Towers... Skelos Badlands. Crystal Glacier. And all those other worlds we've visited... You're right, there's a lot involved in being a king, and... And my reasons for wanting it in the first place is selfish... It... Wouldn't be right... To have a king that thinks only of himself."

"... Yet you surrendered the Power Crystal," Elora started, turning her gaze back to the little sorcerer. "You wouldn't have done that if you were only thinking of yourself... I would have guided you... But... If it's no longer your desire, that's fine..."

Setting the scepter down at her side, she reached over and set her hand over his.

"... What will you do now?" Asked the faun.

"... I don't know," the little sorcerer answered. "I guess we will be continuing our travels... I... Can't really say I have any specific destination in mind--"

"... You could stay with us."

"What?"

The little sorcerer looked up at Elora in surprise.

"... You don't have a home... Do you?"

There was no comment... The sorcerer shifted, averting his gaze from the faun... Still, she continued.

"King or no king... I think we can accommodate you, as well as Crush and Gulp."

"... You'd really welcome us?"

With a smile, she reached over and pulled the little sorcerer up into her arms, kissing him lightly upon his nose.

"To Avalar... And to my heart."

The little sorcerer felt a soft fluttering in his heart at her words... With a soft trilling, he nuzzled closer into the faun's embrace, purring.

"Even though you've given up on it... You'll still be my little king."

\----

"Well, that was fun!" The little purple dragon said, trotting out from the portal leading to Dragon Shores, with his trusty dragonfly in tow. Returning to the Dragon Realms, he had found that the storm had cleared, and the sun was shining down upon the Artisan's Home at long last.

"Still... I can't help but feel as though we've missed out on something." Spyro looked to his sparkling companion with a slight tilt of his head. But soon enough, the thought was pushed aside.

There were always adventures to be had in the Dragon Realms, after all...!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... And thus, we reach the end of the fic -- copy and pasted straight off from DeviantArt!
> 
> As I said at the beginning : I kinda rushed through the fic because I wanted to get it all out before I lost the inspiration -- I'm proud of myself that I was finally able to actually start a thing and finish it!
> 
> But I still feel like... There COULD be more to it? Honestly?
> 
> So, if you enjoyed it, leave a Kudos -- and as always, comments ARE welcome! If there's anything that you feel COULD be improved on, or if there's anything specific that you'd like to see, leave a comment, and I'll see what I can do! ^^


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